Keep Telling Yourself
by dcj
Summary: They say if you keep telling yourself something, someday you just might learn to believe it...or not.
1. Chapter 1

Well this story is not as light-hearted as the last few I've posted, but the idea came and I thought I'd give it a chance. The first few chapters are quite short, but only because I'm dragging it out trying to figure out where in the heck I'm going with this. The idea I had only went so far and I really don't know where to take it. I'm just hoping by the time I get the third chapter posted, I'll have a better idea where to take the fourth. If you have any ideas as I go, please feel free to message me. Thanks to SairsJ and mamaverd for helping me with that already.

So excited for the new season to start…even more excited that in Canada where I am, the Mystery Channel is airing the new episode at 8:00am. I'll definitely be up for that.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Rookie Blue

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><p>At first Andy was reluctant to say yes. She hadn't really seen her 'friend' in quite a few years, she wouldn't know anyone at all, and it was in an area that she wasn't familiar with. If she didn't enjoy herself, she'd have to make her way back home alone in the dark.<p>

But the more she thought about it, the more appealing it became. She needed to get away from her life; she needed to escape for awhile, to find relief from the heaviness that was consuming her chest. She needed to not think about anything or anyone familiar.

The last couple months, Andy's life had been torn apart at the seams and she was trying her best to put the pieces back together. It started when she found out that Sam had been offered a position in Guns and Gangs. She tried to be happy for him; she knew it was what he wanted. He had told her so from their very first day. She didn't want him to go but she knew it wasn't fair to try and hold him back. She was with Luke and she and Sam were partners…just partners. At least that's what she kept telling herself.

When he first told her about the offer, she was surprised to hear that he hadn't jumped at it right away. He had informed the powers that be that he had to think about it. When she asked what was holding him back, he answered simply, "you." Her heart raced as she searched his eyes trying to figure out if he really meant it. But she couldn't be sure; she thought she saw a grain of truth there but he covered it up quickly with sarcasm: "I love working with you McNally; can't imagine my life without you in it." Even as a joke, she felt the weight of his words. She loved working with Sam and couldn't imagine her life without him in it either. They were partners, a team; you don't break up a good team. At least that's what she kept telling herself.

Then one day he was just gone. She didn't think he had made up his mind, in any case he hadn't said anything. But one morning he just never showed. She found out later that it was a last minute decision. They already had a UC guy under but he needed out and he needed out now. So they had to find someone with experience who could go under immediately who wasn't already tied up on another case; unfortunately for her, Sam fit the bill.

He hadn't officially said yes to the position but he had said yes to helping them out. Apparently the case was almost over, one month tops; it wasn't supposed to take long, but you could never tell. She knew it was against policy for him to tell her when he left, but she still thought he would find a way to let her know. They were partners; she deserved to know. She had a right to know. At least that's what she kept telling herself.

Sam's leaving hit her hard and she wasn't very good at hiding it. She tried to be happy. She was with Luke; they had moved into his new house, choosing to take that next step together. But she wasn't happy; she just couldn't manage it, the tightness in her chest keeping her heart hostage and rarely letting it free.

She threw herself into her work. And if she was busy, sometimes she could almost make herself forget that he wasn't there. But she couldn't keep it up 24/7 and it didn't take long for Luke to realize that the problem wasn't something; it was someone. He tried to be there for Andy, but it didn't matter what he did she just wasn't herself.

Finally, he had to confront the real issue. He asked her what they were doing.

"We live together."

"But that's just it Andy. You're not living; you're just going through the motions."

"What? No." She tried to deny it, but it was painfully obvious.

"Andy, you haven't been the same since Swarek left."_ There he said it._

"He was my partner Luke; of course it's not the same."

But he didn't believe her. At work, she almost seemed fine and sometimes she even smiled. But it never lasted and it almost never happened at home.

On shift, she was busy enough and the days passed quickly so she didn't have a lot of time to think about him…to miss him. But at the Penny, her eyes always seemed to be drawn to 'his' table. On the surface, everything looked normal; three friends chatting and laughing but that fourth chair always sat empty, obviously missing him too.

At home was the worst though. Luke, being Luke, wasn't always there and more often than not she was left with only her thoughts to keep her company. More than once, he had come back late at night only to find her sitting in a chair with a faraway look in her eye or asleep on the couch having dozed off after spending who knows how long thinking about Sam, worrying about him, wondering where he was.

Luke knew it would be hard on her. Although the partners did switch periodically, she and Sam were paired together a lot. He knew it would be a big change for her, but he expected her to get over it, take it in stride…finally move on. But she didn't.

She told him she just needed more time to get used to it, but it had been weeks and she still wasn't making any progress. There wasn't even a hint at progress and he was starting to wonder if she was really in this…them.

She tried to convince him that she wouldn't have moved in if she wasn't in it. But all he had to do was look at the facts, the evidence was overwhelming. He didn't need to be a detective to see it.

She knew he was right. She was trying with Luke, but when it came right down to it, she was happiest when she was with Sam. Now that he was gone, she wasn't sure she knew how to be happy without him. She was starting to realize that Sam or thoughts of Sam occupied the better part of her day, whether it was riding with him, replaying the day at the Penny or looking forward to the next day.

But she had chosen Luke; she wanted Luke…at least that's what she kept telling herself so she tried again. She tried for another week; she plastered on a grin and did her best to fake it, but in the end, she just couldn't make it. And when they could no longer deny it, she had moved out. She just couldn't convince either of them anymore.

That was a week ago, and today was Andy's day off and she was hoping to occupy her mind by visiting her dad. She had just walked up to his building when a familiar face was seen coming out.

She was caught completely off guard; she hadn't seen the girl, well now woman, in years. They had grown up together in that very building and apparently both women had chosen today to visit their fathers who still lived in the same apartments they had for over 20 years. They couldn't believe it had taken this long to run into each other.

They sat down on a bench just outside taking time to catch up. Apparently while Andy had stayed close, Terri had moved to the other side of the city not long after college. As they reminisced, Andy found out that Terri was engaged with her bachelorette party planned for the coming weekend.

After talking for more than a half hour, the conversation ended with Terri insisting that Andy come to the party. She had practically begged Andy, and it wasn't long before she finally relented. She needed to get away and relax, forget about all her problems and just have fun. And a girls night out seemed like a good way to do it.

Sure Traci and Gail had tried a number of times, but as much as she loved them, sometimes it just reminded her of what she was missing and what she had let slip away.

Andy wrote down the address and made sure she had the time correct. They would meet at Terri's on Saturday night before heading to a club, maybe two, to go dancing. It wasn't something she would normally do, but Andy thought 'all the better' as she looked forward to leaving her mixed up life behind…even if just for one night.


	2. Chapter 2

Here is the next part. Still working on trying to find my final destination, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know.

I hope you enjoy this part too.

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><p>They started the night with a couple of shots at Terri's house where Andy was introduced to a dozen different women all of whom seemed just as eager as she was to leave their troubles at the bottom of an empty glass. After dressing Terri up in a veil and homemade t-shirt, they were headed to the first club.<p>

It took a moment for their eyes to adjust; the club was especially dark. The music was pounding and the lights were jumping to the beat though and girls wasted little time getting into their groove as they immediately downed another round of shots and headed to the dance floor.

They danced to song after song, never leaving the area but moving only to the edge to reach their drinks. Andy could feel the buzz not long after their arrival and she was happy to lose herself in the music.

They were drawing quite an audience; it was inevitable, a dozen hot girls dancing together with not a man in sight…someone would definitely feel the need to remedy that. Man after man approached the women and though some of the girls took the opportunity to flirt or dance if the guy was especially cute, Andy turned down every offer she got. She didn't want to be held; she wanted to escape.

The table of guys near the bar was no exception, but they had yet to make a move; so far they had been preoccupied by their own conversation. This group was a regular fixture at the club, frequenting it more often than not to carry out their less than savory business dealings. But with business finally done, their focus had now shifted to the spectacle on the dance floor, and some of them were definitely enjoying the view.

"Man you gotta love it when a bachelorette party comes in: beautiful women getting piss drunk and wanting to drown their sorrows because they don't have a ring too."

"Look at the legs on that brunette!"

"Holy shit, she's gorgeous. And she is definitely trying to forget something…or someone and I am just the guy to help her with that."

"Wanna bet?" His buddy challenged. "She hasn't said yes to one guy."

"But she hasn't met me."

"You haven't got a hope in hell…does he Sammy?

Sam hadn't been interested; he was undercover and the last thing he did when he was undercover was look at women. You don't start something when you're under; it's doomed before it even starts. Well that and his heart only had room for one sexy brunette but she was happily playing house on the other side of town. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

Sam slowly turned around to see what they were going on about and to give himself time to plan out his reaction. And then his heart dropped into his stomach. It was Andy, _his Andy_, and she had a veil on. _Oh God; Callahan proposed. No…no…it was too fast…she wouldn't already be having…_

Before his mind could fully comprehend what it all meant, he watched as Andy pulled off the veil and passed it off to another woman, quite obviously the real bride to be.

Relief had barely set in when he turned back to the conversation at his table, and he didn't like it one bit. The way they were talking about her turned his stomach and he rose from his seat with only one goal in mind. He was not taking any chances; there was no way he was letting any of those guys get close to her.

"I am going to get me some of that." He heard one of his 'buddies' say as he threw back a shot and slammed it on the table ready to make his own move. But Sam was already gone.

"Looks like Sammy beat you to it." The rest of the table noted with a laugh as they could see Sam's obvious target.

Andy couldn't believe the nerve. She was dancing at the edge of the group of girls with her back to the bar when she felt a pair of hands on her hips. _Are you kidding me? _ The other guys were bad enough with their cheesy pickup lines and obvious leering. But this guy had to take the cake; did he actually think it was ok to put his hands on a woman without her permission. He was about to get a lesson in manners.

Andy spun around fully prepared to put her well-tuned, self defense skills to good use. But Sam had spent a lot of time with her and he could anticipate her every move.

She had a cocky grin on her face fully expecting to have this guy at her mercy and regretting even coming out tonight, but the joke was on her. Before she knew it, she was the one who was trapped in a hold; she looked up in shock as she was pulled in even closer. Her eyes widened at the two staring back at her. "Careful," he whispered with a small smile. And she knew he wasn't talking about her defense training; he was putting on a show.

"Get your hands off of me." She ordered raising her voice and putting on her best pissed off look. She pushed off of him and took a quick step back to put a safe distance between them.

"Come on sweetheart, I just want a dance." Sam explained, trying to step towards her again.

She held her hand out to keep him at bay. "Maybe you didn't notice but I was doing just fine by myself."

"Oh, believe me; I noticed." He assured her with a wink.

If they were anywhere else, Andy would have been grinning from ear to ear. But they had an audience and she needed to keep up appearances. "Well then what makes you think I want to dance with you?"

"Wishful thinking?" He suggested before pulling out the big guns. He gave her his best dimpled smile, the one that she had been missing for the past few weeks and she couldn't hold her poker face any longer. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Does that work for you?"

"Every time." He bragged.

And she couldn't help it; she had to laugh.

Back at the table, his guys had been watching his every move. As soon as she laughed, there were sure Sam had it in the bag. "Damn he's good," they admitted in surprise; this was the first time they had seen Sam in action and they were all impressed. They watched as he motioned for the pretty brunette to dance with him.

She glanced back at the rest of her entourage and they were all encouraging her. She had told them earlier that she had recently broken up with her boyfriend and you could tell they thought it would do her a world of good. It didn't hurt that they all thought Sam was hot too.

Sam and Andy danced to the rest of the song and one more before he asked her to have a drink with him. She could tell that it wasn't really a request; it held the hint of an order. He obviously needed to talk to her alone.

She knew she needed to go, but the girls had made a pact at the beginning of the night to stick together. When she turned to them again, Terri stepped forward and whispered in her ear. "Go…don't worry about me; I will not let you say no to that."

Andy gave her a quick hug before turning around and nodding to Sam. He reached for her hand to lead her away from the dance floor. She glanced down at their hands as she followed him off; it felt so good to be with him again. He could have taken her anywhere and she would have gone willingly. She was so lost in thought that it surprised her when he stopped, and she looked up to see him watching her intently. When she blushed at being caught in the moment, he just smiled and winked.

"What would you like?" He asked, taking a seat at the bar not too far from his 'friends'.

"Beer is good." She was thirsty after all the dancing, and a beer was just what she needed to cool herself down.

When her drink came, she quickly downed half trying to quench her thirst and calm her nerves. It didn't do any good though as her nerves went into overdrive the second Sam leaned in to whisper in her ear. She could feel his breath on her neck, which made it almost impossible for her to register his words. "Just giggle at everything I say ok?"

"OK," she giggled. It wasn't a stretch; between the alcohol and Sam's proximity she was almost giddy.


	3. Chapter 3

"I need you to contact division and get me a number to call."

She was surprised but didn't let it show. "I'm not that kind of girl." She flirted back with a giggle.

_Damn she was good. _He almost forgot his train of thought.

He started whispering again. "When I took over for Kenton, they were suspicious. Apparently my timing was too good to be true. He brought me in and then he disappeared less than a week later; they didn't want to chance it so they took everything I had: my phone, my gun, everything."

She pulled back and gave him her best pout as she placed her hand gently on his cheek. "So you're all alone?"

It took Sam a moment to tear his eyes away from her lips. "Not for long I hope." He announced loudly before leaning back in and lowering his voice. "Don't worry; I've finally been able to earn their trust but it's pushed everything back. The deal should have been done last week, but I've finally got things back on track. Doesn't matter; what matters now is that I haven't been able to contact anyone. But the deal is going down soon and I'm going to need back up."

"So what exactly are you suggesting?" She asked.

"Excuse yourself to the bathroom and text someone; get me a number to reach Boyd so we can set up the bust. Then make sure you give it to me before you go."

"Are you ok?" She whispered back.

He could hear the concern in her voice and it took him a few seconds to respond. "I'm good…you."

He noticed her tense up for a split second before answering. "I'm good too."

He knew she was lying. "I don't believe you."

"It's fine Sam; I'm not going to bore you with my crazy life while you're in the middle of all this. You have more important things to worry about."

He couldn't help it; the world could be falling all around him and she would still be his first concern. It frustrated him that she wouldn't talk to him so he did what he always did, he lashed out. "So Callaghan let you out tonight?" He regretted it the second it left his lips, but it was too late to take it back.

"We're not together anymore." She huffed before frowning and downing the rest of her beer. She immediately stood up and walked to the bathroom.

Sam's eyes widened; he was more than a little shocked. He returned to his table in a daze and the guys could tell that his conversation had gone totally sideways. By the look on his face he obviously wasn't use to having women walk away from him like that. "Didn't look like you got her number." One of his buddies noted.

"She didn't look too happy when she left either." Another added.

"Nope." He was too stunned to say anything else.

"That's it; that's all you have to say? You can't let that walk away. If it was me, I wouldn't just be looking for her number; I'd be looking for the nearest motel. If you're not going after that, then I am."

That was enough to snap Sam back to reality, and he grabbed his buddy by the arm before he could move towards the bathrooms. "Watch and learn boys; she'll be back. I got it all under control."

Andy went in the bathroom and locked herself in a stall before she sent a text to Frank. She knew Boyd was the one Sam needed to contact, but she didn't have his number nor did she ever care to have his number.

_Sergeant Best, you there?_

If he didn't answer her text right away, she was going to try Jerry. She was really hoping she wouldn't have to resort to contacting Luke, and she didn't dare make an actual call to dispatch.

Her phone buzzed back almost immediately. _It's a bit late isn't it McNally?_

It was, but he obviously knew it was important enough that he should text back.

_Ran into Sam at a bar across town; he needs a number to call._

_Great work McNally! Hold on and I'll get one! _Frank was relieved; no one had heard from Sam since Kenton checked back in.

_Here's the number; it's an untraceable cell. I assume you'll be pretending it's yours._

He obviously knew Sam well and knew that he would take the opportunity to get the number without giving anything away. _Yes sir._

_Great. Come see me when you get back to work so you can give me the whole story._

_Will do. Thanks._

_Night, McNally._

When Andy left the bathroom, she walked right past Sam's table. His buddies were teasing him that he was losing his touch. But just before she got to the floor she looked back and Sam winked at her. She shot him a coy smile before joining the girls for another dance.

She wasn't coy for long though.

Once she satisfied the girls' curiosity, she moved back out to the floor and locked eyes with Sam and started to dance. If he thought her moves were sexy before, they were off the charts now. It was like she was putting on a show just for him, and he was her captive audience. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, and he couldn't stop his mind from wishing they were somewhere alone. And the fact that her eyes were mirroring the same want just turned him on even more.

Sam was getting pretty hot and bothered and wasn't sure if he could keep this up for much longer without actually taking her home. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't risk it. And although his mind knew that, his body wasn't getting the message.

It was pretty obvious that her moves were for him and him alone, but that didn't stop more than one man from approaching Andy hoping to get to know her better. Their line of sight would be broken momentarily as the man gave it his best shot. Sam should have been thankful for the momentary reprieve, but each time he found his hands clenched tightly at his side while he tried to stop himself from jumping up and tearing the man apart with his bare hands. It was a whole new kind of tension.

In the back of his mind, he knew Andy was going to say no, but he would still hold his breath and wait until she turned the guy down and he walked away dejectedly. Sam could then let out the breath and the vicious cycle would start all over again.

Finally, the night started coming to a close. The DJ put on a slow song, which was the universal signal to the end of the night. Andy eventually turned away from Sam, as the bachelorette party moved to make their way off the dance floor for the first time in hours. And that's when Sam jumped off his seat.

His buddies laughed. "There he goes."

"A hundred bucks says he comes away with nothin'."

That was all Sam heard as he closed in on Andy, grabbing her hand before she could make her way off. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I was going to sit down and relax."

"Not right now." He insisted, leading her back.

He pulled her in close and she unconsciously relaxed into him; she felt whole for the first time in over a month. "I miss you." She sighed.

Sam heard her gasp and felt her body stiffen as she realized what had just slipped out of her mouth.

Sam's voice caught in his throat before he cleared it and admitted. "I miss you too."

He was hoping it was enough, and it seemed like it was. He felt a nervous breath leave her body, seemingly taking some of the anxiety with it.

"Talk to me, Andy. Tell me what's going on."

"It's nothing." She knew their time was limited, and she really just wanted to enjoy being close to him again.

"I'm not letting you go until you tell me."

She wanted to say 'then I'm never going to tell you' because she never wanted him to let her go, but she knew that wasn't going to happen. "A few weeks after you disappeared, I broke up with Luke. I was miserable when you left and Luke finally had enough – I couldn't convince either of us that it was working."

"Are you ok?"

"I am now." She murmured.

Sam couldn't help but smile at that but he knew her joy was short lived. He still had at least a couple of weeks to go with this and he didn't want to involve her any more than he already had.

"Andy…"

She could feel the tears welling up when he called her by her first name. "It's ok…I know."

It was time to change the subject; he needed her to keep up appearances. "Did you get the number?"

"Yeah. I'll give it to you on my way out." She replied sadly.

They danced the last few moments in silence with it ending all too quickly for both of them. He placed a soft kiss on her lips before grasping her hand and leading her off the dance floor. When he let go to return to his table, he gave her hand a quick squeeze but didn't look back. He needed a moment before the actual goodbye.

"Well?" The guys asked before he could even sit down.

He resurrected his cocky facade and bragged. "Just wait for it."

Andy and the girls finished their drinks, chatted for a few moments, and then got up to head home. As Andy approached Sam's table, he could see a napkin in her hand. She barely registered the knowing glances around the table as she only had eyes for Sam. Holding his gaze, she leaned in slowly reaching down with her hand to place the napkin in his jeans pocket. Sam thought he was going to lose it when she just left her hand there obviously in no hurry to take it out. Thank goodness she removed it when she did though because he was pretty sure she was going to get more than she bargained for.

Just as he was about to exhale in relief, he felt himself suck in another breath of air. She actually had the gall to give his pocket a pat. _Damn!_

"Don't be a stranger." She offered suggestively before turning to his group with a wink. "Bye boys."

And with that she flipped on her heel and joined her group on their way to the door.

Sam continued to watch until the door closed behind her, completely oblivious to all the whistling and taunting that was coming from his table. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the napkin, proudly showing off her number.

"I can't believe you let her walk out."

"You should really go after her."

Sam wanted to, more than anything, but he couldn't. He had to see this through.

He would call the number though.

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><p>So this was where my original idea ended and then I was at a loss. With the help of bouncing some ideas off of mamaverd and Sairs J, I now know where I'm taking the next chapter and I sort of know my ending but just have to figure out how to get there. If you have any ideas...feel free to pass them on.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Since I've already borrowed a little from Episode 1 of Season 2, I decided to take the liberty again to keep the story moving along. Hope you like what I've done.

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><p>Terri insisted that Andy stay the night at her house; it was too late to take the bus and she didn't want her riding all the way across town alone in a cab. Andy was exhausted, physically and emotionally, and she was happy to take her friend up on the offer.<p>

When they returned to Terri's apartment together, Andy was glad that she had packed a bag and brought it with her. She hadn't wanted to ride all the way across the city on a bus in her miniskirt; that would have just been asking for trouble. So instead she had worn yoga pants and a t-shirt for the trip over the night before.

When she had been packing the bag with her outfit for the party, she thankfully had the foresight to thrown in something to sleep in and a few other essentials just in case. It wouldn't have been the first time she needed to stay over at a friend's and she had decided not to take any chances.

After changing and brushing her teeth, Andy immediately crashed on the sofa bed Terri had made up for her and she didn't even stir until eleven thirty the next morning.

She awoke disoriented but with only a slight headache. It took her a moment to remember where she was and how she ended up there; at least she wasn't nauseous though. She had had quite a bit to drink earlier in the night but the dancing helped work a lot of it out of her system. And after she had seen Sam and had that beer with him, she had decided to stick to soda water.

She couldn't say the same for Terri though, and was pretty sure she'd be feeling the effects if she ever decided to show herself. Andy lay on the couch for a bit longer before making her way to the bathroom; she still hadn't heard anything from Terri and had a feeling her friend was going to need a little more time to sleep it off. So Andy decided to have a quick shower while she waited, and if she had to, she could always leave Terri a note before heading home.

She took a quick peek in the medicine cabinet and found the treasure she was looking for. After downing a couple of painkillers she stepped into the hot water. It was just what she needed and the pounding in her head was soon replaced by the pounding of the hot spray against her back. She could have stayed in there forever, but she was pretty sure Terri wouldn't appreciate facing a cold shower after last night.

After toweling off and changing back into her yoga pants and tee, Andy exited the bathroom to be greeted by a very lethargic Terri with a steaming cup of hot coffee in her hand. Andy gratefully accepted the drink and asked Terri how she was feeling. Though she obviously wasn't at her best, she still offered to drive Andy home. But besides the fact that Andy didn't want to put her out, Andy also wasn't completely sure that Terri wasn't still over her legal limit.

Andy assured her that she was fine taking the bus or a cab and was ready to go within a half hour. She thanked Terri for a wonderful time and smiled good-naturedly when Terri teased her about the 'hottie' she had kissed last night. Andy left with a wistful grin; she definitely enjoyed meeting that 'hottie' but she also knew that despite what the girls assumed after she gave him her number, she wasn't about to hear from him for awhile.

There was a bus stop just outside Terri's apartment but Andy found herself unconsciously walking right by it, instead scanning up and down the street ahead of her. Somewhere deep down she knew what she was doing but she was trying not to admit it, telling herself she just wanted to enjoy some fresh air to clear away the last remnants of the hangover.

When she came to the next stop a couple of blocks away, she told herself she should just stop and wait that a bus would be along soon. But after a few moments, she gave up and started walking again. The pattern continued for more than an hour; each time she came to a bus stop she kept telling herself she would stop and wait, but when the bus didn't come within a few seconds, she would start wandering again, her eyes panning the streets all around her. About a half hour ago, she had passed the club they had been at, not able to resist peeking in the window, but there was nothing to see.

If she was honest with herself, she was hoping for just one more glimpse of Sam before she headed home.

After another half hour, she had to resign herself to the fact that it wasn't going to happen, and as luck would have it, she had just reached a stop as a bus pulled into view. Reluctantly, and with one last look around, she got on and made her way back across the city.

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><p>It was after three when Andy finally made it home and she was starving. Other than half a piece of toast with her coffee, she hadn't had anything to eat since dinner last night.<p>

After making herself a sandwich, she turned on the TV and flipped to a random channel. It didn't matter what was on; it was just background noise. There was only one thing that could keep her attention right now.

She sat on her sofa and started eating, replaying the entire night over and over in her head. Even as a thug Sam looked good, and he felt good too. Dancing with him and having him hold her close had to be the best feeling in the world. She had to smile at the look on his face when she patted his pocket at the end of the night. She missed teasing him, missed talking to him, just missed…him.

She woke up about 4 hours later still on the sofa with her sandwich only half eaten on the coffee table. She had obviously fallen asleep having lost herself in thoughts of Sam, and now she was more than hungry. She got up and tossed the sandwich before foraging in her fridge and digging out some leftovers to heat up. As she sat down once again to eat, she forced herself to think of something else, anything else…at least till she finished her dinner.

She quickly cleaned up and decided to have a hot shower and just go to bed early. She had to go back to work the next day and she wanted to be well rested. As she lay down that night, she allowed herself the luxury of thinking of him again; how good it was too see him, how safe she felt in his arms, how the feeling that something was missing was gone for those few short hours…and then how that feeling was back again and stronger than ever. A lone tear made its way to her pillow as she drifted off once more.

Andy woke up before her alarm. It was no wonder; she had basically spent all of yesterday asleep. She was ready a full half hour early and decided to head in knowing that Frank would already be there; maybe she could even talk to him before parade.

She got to the barn, dressed quickly, and made her way up to Frank's office. She got to the top of the stairs when she realized that he was already occupied with Boyd who did not appear to be in a very good mood. She turned to walk away but only got a few steps before she heard the door opening.

"McNally."

"Yes, sir."

"Didn't I tell you I wanted to talk to you first thing?"

"You did sir, and I was on my way, but it looked like you were busy so…"

"We've been waiting for you."

"We, sir?"

"Detective Boyd and I…he wanted to be here to find out what went down too."

"Hasn't Sam…"

"The office, McNally." He reminded, encouraging her to take it inside.

Andy walked in and she could instantly feel the contempt rolling off of Boyd. She knew she had made things difficult with the whole Landry/Bergen case, but it had all worked out in the end. She really didn't know why he disliked her so much. She did her best to keep it professional though. "Detective." She greeted coolly.

"McNally." He sneered.

Andy turned to Frank and he gestured for her to sit down. "Have a seat."

"What the hell did you do this time?" Boyd shot out accusingly.

"Hang on!" Frank admonished before turning to Andy. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"Is something wrong?" Andy wondered, surely they should be happy that Sam was finally able to contact them.

"Everything's fine." Frank assured, trying not to worry her.

Boyd couldn't believe he was sugar-coating it and he wasn't in the mood to hold anything back. "Everything is far from fine. Why the hell hasn't Swarek called yet?"

"Sam hasn't called?"

"That's right…and why the hell didn't you contact me and tell me what was going on. I get the call from Frank asking me for the number and then that's it…nothing. You should have called and told me everything the minute…"

"Hang on, Don. I told Andy to come in first thing this morning; we **both** figured Sam would have called you by now. Now, Andy…"

Boyd interrupted. "Did you give him the right number? Are you sure you got it right because my guess is you probably just screwed up another one of my busts."

"You should come with a warning label." He muttered under his breath.

Frank could see the panic starting to set in Andy's eyes. If they were going to get to the bottom of this, he was going to have to rein in Boyd. "Let's just relax for a minute. We all know Sam, and if hasn't called, it's for a good reason. He knows what he's doing out there."

Andy took a deep breath and tried to believe Frank; she knew Sam was good at what he did and she had to trust that.

"Andy, just tell us exactly what happened."

Andy went through the entire night. She went out dancing with friends, Sam was at the club, he came and danced with her and bought her a drink to keep up appearances, he asked her to get a number, she went to the bathroom to text Frank, and she gave Sam the number just before she left. She looked directly at Boyd when she emphasized that it was the 'right' number.

"Thanks, McNally. You did great."

They both heard Boyd scoff at Frank's compliment, and both chose to ignore it. Andy shook her head minutely before looking to Best. "Thank you, sir. Can I…"

Before she had a chance to ask to leave, Frank's phone rang and he held up his hand for Andy to wait. She watched as he furrowed his brow and kept shaking his head. "I remember…we're on it."

When he hung up, he turned to Andy; his original thought would have to wait.

"McNally, I need you over at Supernova. There's a concert going on there; a thousand wrist bands went out and they only got room for 800. You're in charge, McNally. Take the other rookies."

"Great…who's playin'?"

When Best didn't answer, she took that as her cue to leave.

Andy was excited, and truthfully a little nervous, about being in charge. But she wasn't about to let it show; she wanted to prove that she could handle whatever was thrown at her.

She could already tell that it wasn't going to be a walk in the park though. They'd barely been there a half hour and they'd already arrested one man for being under the influence of… Well they weren't sure quite what he was on, and he wasn't telling.

They had kept things running fairly smoothly when Andy heard that there was a problem at the door. When she got to the front of the line, Dov told her that they only had room for fifty more and then the doors were shutting for good. She knew it was time to step it up as the waiting crowd was about to go ballistic….literally.

As she watched the people continue to file in, Andy was approached by a pretty young woman in a red jacket. She had been tasked with saving her friend's spot in line, but had failed miserably. Andy wanted to remain unaffected by her plight, but it wasn't easy. The girl was just really sweet.

Andy couldn't resist wanting to help her and quickly promised to make sure that she and her friend got in. They made small talk as they waited for her friend to get back, but their conversation was cut short by a loud crack. Andy felt the wet spray across the left side of her face before she could fully register what had happened. She turned her head in time to see a second shot ricochet across a metal vent. The third shot knocked Andy off her feet.

She couldn't breathe. _Why couldn't she breathe? She felt like she was drowning, but where was the water? She needed air…why wouldn't it come? She wanted air…why couldn't she make it come?_

She forced herself to roll over and look at the young woman she had been talking to. The girl had been nice, and she made Andy want to be nice too. But nice was the last thing Andy was feeling right now. She reached out and placed her hand over the girl's, offering her a silent 'I'm sorry'. It was all she could do yet it wasn't going to be enough.

Andy was forced to back off as Oliver took charge of assessing the girl before the EMT's took his place. Andy tried to sit up, needing to be useful. But when she finally felt like she could move a little, Oliver told her she couldn't. She tried to convince him she was well enough to get up, and apparently he knew she was fine but with the blood spray on her face and the bullet lodged in her vest, she was evidence.

_Evidence. _An uninvited flash of Benny's face invaded her thoughts. This time, she was the evidence. _Nope…definitely not a walk in the park._

* * *

><p>Sam and his buddies were having lunch at one of their usual haunts working on the details for the huge buy that was coming up in less than two weeks. This was what Sam had been waiting for; he could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. And after seeing Andy on the weekend, he had even more motivation to make sure that it all went down as quickly as possible.<p>

He was broken from his thoughts when someone yelled. "Turn that up."

The bartender opened up the volume on the TV and they all looked over. The local news was reporting a shooting at a free concert – one critical and another injured. One of the victims was said to be a police officer but no names had been released.

As they listened to the rest of the meager details, most of Sam's buddies were laughing. "Do you think it was one of ours that got 'em?"

"Unloaded one near there the other day."

Sam watched in interest but remained silent, desperately hoping not to draw attention to himself; he didn't have it in him to pretend right now. He knew exactly where it all went down and exactly which division would have been called in. He felt sick to his stomach as the same words echoed over and over in his head: "No. Please. No."

* * *

><p>I don't see myself following the season along, but this was a good way to prompt some further McSwarek interaction. I'll probably be breaking free from it soon, but I think a behind the trailer re-do is definitely in order.<p>

I have to admit though that the previews for the next episode are interesting – Andy undercover in a club, guns…


	5. Chapter 5

Sam watched in interest but remained silent, desperately hoping not to draw attention to himself; he didn't have it in him to pretend right now. He knew exactly where it all went down and exactly which division would have been called in. He felt sick to his stomach as the same words echoed over and over in his head: "No. Please. No."

At that point he had tuned out all conversation; the only thing on his mind was which officer…which friend…which…could have been shot. And was he/she the critical one or simply the injured one. He could only pray that whoever was shot, that their vest had caught it. He had to bank on it; it was the only thing keeping him sane right now.

He was broken away from his thoughts when he realized that Vic was talking to him. "Sammy...Sammy."

"Huh."

"What are you thinking?"

"Huh…oh nothing."

"Cause we're thinking maybe we should put off the buy." Ray suggested.

That was the last thing Sam wanted to happen. "What? No. Why?"

"That gun could have been one of ours. What if they trace it back to us?" RJ panicked.

"Yeah, maybe we should lay low for awhile. Pass on this shipment." Ray agreed.

"They ain't gonna trace it back to us." Sam assured; he knew the first concern would be the shooting…though he didn't want to think it, the possible murder. Eventually yes, the gun, once they saw that the serial number had been rubbed off, would be sent to Guns and Gangs for investigation, but this wouldn't be the first one…that was why Sam was here.

"Are you sure, Sammy?" Jimmy asked. "Cause I ain't ready to go to jail because some idiot popped a cop."

There was that sick feeling again. "No, if anything, we speed it up." Sam recommended. "The cops aren't going to move onto that gun until they find out who used it. If they find the guy right away, we've got at least a few weeks. If not, we lay low with the sales for now; keep our guys off the streets so we don't end up in the middle of this. We can't put off a shipment a second time or we're done with this guy. We almost lost him after the last time; remember what happened when we passed a month ago?"

How could they forget? "Yeah, he sold direct to Vicero's group and the boss was completely pissed."

"You know that's why he thinks your buddy went over to the other side." Jimmy added, nodding at Sam.

"What?" Sam was shocked. He knew they put off the buy because they were worried about whether or not to trust him and they likely thought that Kenton was a snitch, but he wasn't expecting this.

"It was too easy for them; there's no way they should have been able to. **We** bring them in from the supplier, we sell to Vicero or guys like him, and they unload them on the street. But Vicero walked right in and took over like he'd been doing it forever. It went together too fast. If boss ever finds your buddy…" Vic started to warn.

Sam was relieved his fellow officer hadn't been made, but he didn't realize that was why they were they so concerned about him when he first came on. Did they think he came from the other gang too? That he was a mole for Vicero trying to help him eliminate the middle man? Sam knew it made some sense, but his gut was on overdrive and telling him there was something else there; for some reason, it was almost sounding like too convenient an excuse for calling things off. _What had Ray said earlier?_

He turned to Ray, one of the first guys he had worked with when he started. "You said you unloaded **one** near there? What did you mean? And how near?" Sam wondered, knowing that there were clearly defined lines in this business.

Ray didn't respond but the guilt was written all over his face.

"You know we don't do singles." Sam practically shouted; trying to rein in his temper. "Boss is already pissed at Vicero for sticking his nose in where it didn't belong and you think it's a good idea to piss off Vicero by working his end. What were you thinking? Not that you were thinking at all."

"I was thinking it was a friend of a friend and he asked for a favor. I was thinking I could make a few extra bucks."

"A favor like that gets us all killed." Sam reminded as the rest of the guys nodded. "That's why you want to pass on the shipment isn't it? You're not worried about the cops finding out; you're worried that Vicero and his guys will find out you were dealing singles in their territory. They already want us out and now if they think we're trying to push them out, they **will** come after us. That's just great."

Everyone was on edge now; they all remembered how mad their boss had been when he had to pass on the last deal. But mad didn't even begin to cover it when he found out Vicero took the shipment directly and the supplier was ready to cut them out right then and there. The boss didn't like taking stupid chances that's why he cancelled the first time when Kenton disappeared and he originally thought he was a cop, but he was mad enough now that even if he knew Vicero was pissed at them, he would still go ahead. They were sure he was ready to just have it out. None of them were chicken shit; you couldn't be in this business. But they didn't have a death wish either and they knew this could mean war.

"We'll talk to the boss tonight." Sam suggested, but he planned to do everything in his power to make sure it all moved ahead, turf war or not. He'd just have to make sure Boyd knew about the other gang because this could get ugly really fast, and they were definitely going to need a bigger task force on this one.

They all agreed that they had to tell the boss; though Ray wasn't so sure he was ready to face the wrath. He might not even make it to the buy if the boss was really pissed. It was inevitable though if they all wanted to stay alive.

Sam listened as the last of the details they were supposed to take care of were ironed out; though it was pretty obvious to everyone that they would likely have to rethink the whole thing knowing that Vicero's guys were likely to show up. The worst part was that Sam still didn't know when it was going to happen.

That was the key detail he had been waiting on. He always tried to keep contact to a minimum. The less he called, the less the chance of getting caught. He hadn't wanted to call Boyd yet because he didn't have a lot to report. He definitely had more after today, but not everything they needed. Still, it was time to make the call he had been putting off. And for Sam, this call was going to be just as much about getting information as it was giving it.

Sam was sitting there wishing they would hurry up and call it good. What else could there be to discuss? Especially if they were going to have to rework the whole thing, which he knew they would. He kept checking his watch to see how much time had passed; surely they'd have enough details now that he would only need one call to tell Boyd what he knew and at the same time find out who was hurt, how badly and if they caught the shooter.

Sam wasn't being as discreet as she should have and one of his buddies noticed. "You gotta be somewhere Sammy?"

Sam was just trying to formulate his excuse when one of the other guys piped in. "Hot date with the one that got away on Friday night?"

_Works for me. _"Yep. I was actually thinking about lining something up for tonight." He glared at Ray, again making it known that he wasn't happy about the wrench he threw into the works. "I figured we'd have everything ready to go and there wouldn't be much to do for the next couple of days. I'm thinking I might just give her a call and see if she wants some company tonight."

Sam did his best not to react strongly to the comments that were being thrown about. He just shrugged them off trying to bite his tongue; he didn't like any of them thinking about Andy in that way.

"Aren't we meeting the boss tonight?" Jimmy reminded.

_Shit. He had forgotten about suggesting that._

"Ah...it's still early now and she'll probably need a break by then anyway." He joked, wishing he didn't have to talk about Andy like that. "Are we done here?"

"Go get her Sammy." They leered.

Sam left the bar and headed back to his apartment. He wanted to be safely inside before he made the call; he didn't want the chance of anyone overhearing. And it probably wouldn't be quick.

* * *

><p>Luke had been tied up in court so they brought in detective Jo Rosati from the 27th to run point. She brought Andy into the trailer they had set up on scene. After giving her story and her vest and relieving herself of the title of evidence, Andy rode back to the barn with Oliver.<p>

He tried to talk her into going to the hospital but she refused; she wasn't the victim here. She was okay (well as okay as could be expected); she wasn't fighting for her life. She needed to be useful; she needed to make sense of it all. She kept telling herself she would feel better if she could just figure out why it all happened.

Andy stopped in the locker room to clean the rest of the blood off her face; she was surprised when Luke came barging in. She was touched by his concern though. She knew that she had hurt him by breaking it off, and it was nice to know that he still cared. When he moved to hug her, she let him and thanked him for his concern; it couldn't have been easy.

Their moment was interrupted by the detective from the 27th. It was obvious that Jo and Luke knew each other and Andy surprisingly noted some tension between them. Jo quickly told Andy that the roommate wanted to speak to her and then she made a hasty retreat to talk to a kid they had found on scene with a gun.

Luke wanted Andy to go home, but she told him she needed to be there. She still needed to make sense of everything; she couldn't go before it made sense. Andy walked out with Luke, heading to the D's office to speak with the roommate, while Luke headed to interrogation to help nail the bastard who they thought did the shooting.

* * *

><p>Boyd was sitting in his office reviewing his notes and periodically looking out at the action in the bullpen. Once they brought the shooting suspect in, it had gotten really interesting around there. He had just lowered his head back to his notes, when his phone rang. He reached for the receiver but quickly realized it was the cell he'd set up for Swarek to call. <em>Finally. <em>

"Yeah."

"Boyd?"

"Sammy?"

"Yeah…who got hit?"

"What?"

"Who got hit? The news said an officer was shot; who was it?"

Boyd needed Sam totally focused and didn't want him thinking about anything but the op. "You're not Officer Swarek; you're Sammy, remember."

"Don't tell me how to do my job Boyd. You picked me for a reason, remember."

"I do, but you need to remember you're still 'on the job'; you can't afford to be thinking about anything else. Get your head in the game…start thinking Sammy not Swarek."

Sam knew he was right but he still had to find out. "Just tell me who it was, Boyd."

Boyd knew Sam, and he knew that he wouldn't give up without getting what he wanted. So he figured it was better to tell him and get it over with so he could get him back on track.

"It was McNally." Boyd said before cringing. His reaction was definitely warranted based on the string of profanities spewing from Sam's mouth.

He let Sam vent for a few seconds, but at the first pause he offered. "She took it in the vest though; so she's ok."

Boyd heard a deep breath on the other end of the line.

Sam just kept telling himself over and over_: She took it in the vest; she'll be fine._

When Boyd hadn't heard anything for a few seconds, he pressed on. "When's the deal going down?"

"Huh?"

"The deal, the bust…the reason you're there?" _Shit, getting him back on track isn't going to be as easy as I thought. What the hell is going on with those two? _

"Oh yeah, next week, mid week, I think."

"You think?"

"I'm getting all the details later, well I was supposed to but we hit a little snag so I'll let you know as soon as I can."

"A little snag?" _This didn't sound good._

"Yeah, we might have just ended up in the middle of a turf war."

Now it was Boyd's turn to spew profanities for a while. "What the hell happened? You're just telling me this now. You don't think you should have called that little baby in as soon as you got the phone."

Sam explained that it just happened today and that it was tied to the gun that may have done the shooting. He then asked Boyd if they had anyone near the inside of Vicero's gang so they could find out if they were planning anything. Boyd said he'd do what he could to find out and get back to Sam.

Boyd was done; everything he had already started putting into place was going to have to be reworked. But first he had to find out if they were really going to need to double the force for the takedown. His mind was racing as he tried to start planning how he was going to get the information he needed. He moved to hang up when Sam spoke again.

"Is she at home?"

"What? Who?" Boyd was already five steps ahead and had no idea what 'she' could be involved with the bust.

"McNally…did someone take her home?"

"I'm not her babysitter." Boyd did not have time to worry about McNally and as far as he was concerned, neither did Sam. They should both be concentrating on how they were going to take down two gangs and a gun runner all on the same night.

"Boyd…Don." Sam wasn't sure he was above begging when it came to Andy.

_What was it about her that had Swarek all tied up in knots? This wasn't good. _"I think I heard she was talking to the roommate of the girl who got shot."

"She's there? Did she at least go to the hospital?"

"How the hell should I know?"

Sam was getting irritated now. "Then let me talk to someone who does know."

There was no use in arguing; Boyd could tell by the tone of Sam's voice. "Hang on." He needed Sam back on track and it seemed that the only way that was going to happen was if he found out about McNally. So Boyd headed to the horse's mouth.

"McNally…phone." He said, popping his head into the room.

She looked up from the roommate with the shock apparent on her face. _Why the hell was Boyd transferring a call to her?_ "Excuse me." She said to the girl as she took the phone and moved to another office.

"Hello." She said tentatively.

"Andy?"

It took everything she had to hold back the tears. "Sam?"

Sam couldn't believe Boyd had done that; he really didn't think he had it in him. He didn't know if this was making it harder or easier though. At least he knew she was okay, but it just made him want to be there to touch her, to hold her, to kiss her, to **see** that she was fine. But all he could do was talk and hope that was enough…for both of them.

She didn't even appear to hear him when he asked if she was okay. She just started going on about the case. "Roommate literally laughed when I asked if Kate was involved in anything illicit. She's an A student, full scholarship, no boyfriend, no enemies…" He knew her and she was trying to make sense of it all; she wasn't thinking about herself in the least.

But someone had to. "McNally, you gotta go home okay?"

"No I don't need to go home; okay? I don't want to go home. What am I going to do? You want me to watch TV; you want me to take a nap? Sam if I'm going to figure this thing out then I need to understand why…"

He didn't want her to figure it out; someone else could do that. He wanted her home where she could rest and recover. He wanted her to put herself first for a change, but he was pretty sure it was a lost cause. That was just not her. He had to try though. "Understand what… are you going to understand? Shots were fired. You were hit; she was hit."

"Kate. It's not she…it's Kate and she was standing right next to me and I need to know who she is."

Of course she needed to know. Sam knew from experience that Andy cared deeply about everyone she came in contact with, and that's what made her a good cop. She needed to help them. He knew you couldn't always help everyone, and that was something she would learn eventually. Until then, he just had to have her back.

"Okay, take the roommate back to residence and talk to her along the way."

"Okay." She agreed content that she would be doing something useful.

Sam still didn't like it, but he knew she needed to stay connected; she wouldn't be able to just let it go.

The question now was could he? Let it go? He knew it was time; he'd already talked longer than he should have. And he already got what he wanted…didn't he? He knew she was safe. Right? And he heard her say she was fine. Right? But then again she always said that. And so this would be about the time when he tracked her down, probably in the women's locker room, just so he could be sure. _Dammit why wasn't he there? Why couldn't he just look at her so he would know? All he would have to do was look in her eyes and he would see it all – pain, hurt, sadness, regret…whatever she was feeling. He just wanted to see for himself. _

But he wasn't there, and so there was nothing more he could do except say goodbye.

* * *

><p>Andy took the roommate, Miranda, back and discovered that Kate had been wearing her roommate's jacket and that the Miranda, unlike Kate, did have a few enemies. Between Andy's investigation on campus and her fellow rookies at the station, they found out that the roommate's TA was the likely suspect. Andy herself took him down just before her fellow officers arrived on scene.<p>

Andy was hoping she would feel better after catching the guy, hoping that she could understand why, but she just didn't.

After lingering in the change room for awhile, she decided to stop by interrogation just to make sure they had everything they needed before she headed to the Penny. They had already finished up, but Jo and Luke were still there talking. It was easy to see that there was a lot of history there, and something else…chemistry maybe?

The Penny was crowded as usual but Andy found her friends right away. She showed them the damage and confirmed that nothing was broken. She really was exhausted though and knew that she would only be staying for one.

With all the talk about the day, it took longer than she thought to finish her beer. When she finally did, she quickly hugged her friends goodbye and shot one last glance toward the bar. She saw Jo and Luke at opposite ends, but they were clearly stealing glances at one another. _Everything happens for a reason_ she thought as she walked towards Luke on her way out.

She placed her hand on his shoulder and waited for him to look up at her. "Life's too short for regrets Luke."

He nodded at her and gave her a small smile as he stood from his chair. She watched him make his way over to Jo and ask if the seat next to her was taken. Andy smiled as she walked out. She knew that she and Luke weren't meant to be but maybe he could still have his happily ever after with Jo.

Andy couldn't help but be hopeful for him as she made her way to her new apartment. She had been fortunate to find one right away after moving out of Luke's. Originally, she thought she was going to be stuck on her dad's or Traci's couch, but she had gotten lucky.

Her thoughts soon drifted to her call from Sam when she felt someone grab her arm. Before she had a chance to even gasp, her eyes were reassured by a very welcome pair of brown ones. She went along willingly as he pulled her around the side of the building. She watched as he scanned from side to side to make sure no one had seen them.

When he was satisfied that they were alone, and far enough out of sight, he had to ask. "How are you really?"

She had barely gotten the 'fine' out when she started rambling; she had been holding it in all day. The only person she wanted to let in was finally there. "Sam that was really scary; it hurt so bad. I'm alright. I'm alright. It's just that I got this bruise..." At that she looked down towards her stomach and moved to lift her shirt up to show him.

Her words weren't enough though; Sam needed to touch her and feel her and know that she was okay. It was completely out of his control, but he didn't care. He put both his hands on either side of her face and leaned in. He knew that they hadn't really talked about what they were or could be, but he did know a few things. He knew that she was miserable when he left and that he had not been able to stop thinking about her. And he knew they missed each other…it was enough for him.

He guided her face back up so he could really look at her; he felt his head moving towards her of its own accord. He felt her breath hitch when she realized what he was doing, but she didn't pull away.

He kept telling himself, _just one kiss. __It wouldn't hurt to just taste her lips…reassure her. And at the same time he could reassure himself that she was alright, that they would be okay. He wanted her to know how important she was to him and if he could convey it in just one kiss then it would be worth the risk. _

At the back of his mind however, there was another thought nagging at him. _Could he just walk away after this? Did he want to walk away from her?_

But the decision had already been made the second he saw her, and so he closed the gap between them. Their lips met in a soft kiss, and they both felt the welcome release of the tension that had been building up all day. She was okay and he was here…and everything was as it should be.

Sam knew he should pull back; this wasn't good for either one of them. _This couldn't go any further…not now. He was supposed to be Sammy right now; they couldn't afford for him to be Swarek yet._ But instead of stopping it, he found himself deepening the kiss. His tongue swept across her lips and she slowly parted them to allow him entrance.

Neither one knew how long the kiss lasted; they only knew they didn't want it to end…but it had to. When they finally broke apart, they were both panting slightly from the intensity of the kiss. Sam's mind was screaming '_we can't, we can't'_, but his body kept begging him _please_.

* * *

><p>A.N. Loved Oliver's speech to Andy in the show, but didn't think it fit in here. The shooting was more just background to get Sam and Andy to meet again.<p>

Special thanks to Sairs J for letting me bounce some ideas off of her and for sharing her muse.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry I took so long with this update; it hasn't been easy. This is the first time I've actually delved into any type of case so I'm struggling a bit to get it right. I'm also struggling because I do not say the F word aloud and therefore would not write it either. But I'm pretty sure the types Sam is hanging out with would be dropping the F-bombs left, right and center. Trying to figure my way around that.

Thanks again to Sairs J for letting me run this by her. It definitely helped.

* * *

><p>Neither one knew how long the kiss lasted; they only knew they didn't want it to end…but it had to. When they finally broke apart, they were both panting slightly from the intensity of the kiss but they couldn't let go of each other…at least not yet. Sam's mind was screaming '<em>we can't, we can't'<em>, but his body kept begging him _please_.

"My new apartment's not far." Andy noted, barely above a whisper, the hope clear in her voice.

"Andy…" _God, he wanted to…_

"Please Sam…you can just tell them you're dating the girl from the club."

He didn't want to tell her that they already thought he was coming to see her; he didn't want to get her hopes up. "Guys like them…me…we don't date; we just take what we want and come and go as we please. Women are kept around for one thing and one thing only and even then, they don't last long."

"Then just use me…or at least pretend to."

"Andy, I could never..."

"I know it wouldn't be real." She really just wanted him to hold her tonight.

"It is real Andy…too real; that's why I can't pretend something like that." _She was making this so hard; it was just supposed to be one kiss. He was just supposed to see that she was still in one piece._

"Sam…" She started, but was interrupted by the ring tone on his cell phone.

She grabbed his hand. "Please, don't answer it."

But they both knew that really wasn't an option. "I have to."

He took a step back from her and she shivered; she wasn't sure if it was because she was missing the warmth of his body next to hers or from watching his undercover persona re-emerge.

"Sammy, here."

She watched Sam frown the second he heard the voice. "_You better get your fill soon Sammy cause Boss wants everyone at the warehouse by eleven. And no bitch is worth being late for this meeting." _

Although she couldn't make out the words, Andy's heart pounded in her chest and her stomach churned as she watched Sam cringe. Whatever it was; it obviously wasn't good.

"I'll be there." He confirmed quickly before snapping the phone shut with a little too much force.

"What is it?"

"Meeting tonight."

Andy hung her head, the chance of him staying with her all but gone. "Oh…"

Sam hated seeing her like this but his hands were tied. He needed one more thing before he left though. Well, actually he _needed/wanted_ a lot of things, but most of them weren't an option right now. "Can I see?" He asked, reaching for the bottom of her shirt.

She nodded, and then waited for him to go ahead. She could have helped; she could have lifted the shirt by herself, but she craved the contact no matter how inconsequential.

He sucked in the air through his teeth as he muttered. "Son of a bitch."

She felt his hands lightly graze over the bruised area and she knew the tears were forming in her eyes again; he was being so gentle. "It's fine Sam."

"No, it's not fine."

"No." She admitted. "But it will be."

"Yeah, once I get these mother f… " He stopped, holding his tongue."…off the street."

"What do you mean?" She thought they were talking about the bruise and the pain.

"There's a pretty good chance that the gun that shot you was sold by one of my guys. I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of them…us."

Andy's eyes went wide. She expected his anger but was surprised to see guilt on Sam's face; he had to know that he wasn't truly a part of this.

She reached out and took his hand in hers. "Sam this isn't your fault. You didn't aim the gun at Kate or at me and you didn't pull the trigger. If he didn't get the gun from your guys, he would have gotten it from somewhere else. He just wanted to end it and he wasn't about to give up."

"I know it isn't…not really. But it's still hard; I know how many guns have been sold since I started with these guys and I can't help but wonder how many have been used already. I need to get these guns and these idiots off the streets. If they had…if it had even been…"

She pulled him close. "It wasn't…now promise me you'll be careful."

He met her eyes; he knew she wasn't mad at him, but that didn't mean he wasn't still angry at the whole situation. When he didn't answer right away, she raised her eyebrows.

"I'll be careful." He promised.

She gave him a soft smile; she needed to know he would come back to her. "What time do you have to be back?"

"Eleven."

Hope immediately straightened her posture. "But that means you still have…"

"Andy, please. This is hard enough already."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"Can you stay just a little longer? Just hold me for a while?"

"Of course," he tightened his hold on her and held her like his life depended on it. And though his life might not have, his peace of mind certainly did.

They stayed that way for an immeasurable amount of time before Sam finally loosened his grip.

Andy wasn't ready yet; she didn't know if she would ever be ready to let him go. She tried to inch closer again but she felt his sigh and she knew her time was up…at least for now. "When will…"

He didn't let her finish; he knew she wanted to know when they would see each other again, but he really had no idea. So he did the only thing he could; he kissed her one more time hoping it would last for as long as they needed it to.

As he backed away, he watched a single tear slide down her cheek. But there was nothing more to say; he couldn't promise her anything until this was all over. And then if he had his way, she would never have to ask again.

When he couldn't avoid it any longer, he turned to walk away. He heard a muffled sob and knew she was trying hard to be strong. It took everything he had to try and be just as strong, to stop himself from turning around, taking her in his arms and leading her home.

* * *

><p>Sammy got to the warehouse at quarter to eleven and most of the guys were already there. No one wanted to be late tonight, apparently not even the boss. He was already there and Sammy checked his watch to make sure he was on time. He breathed a sigh of relief; this meeting was going to be hard enough as it was.<p>

"What took you so long?" The boss growled.

"Um…well, I was…" The boss was not in a good mood and Sammy wasn't sure how to answer; he really didn't want to bring Andy any further into this than she already was, even if it was just to talk about her. Plus, he knew the mood was about to get a whole lot worse.

"Sammy found himself a nice piece of ass at the club the other night." Jimmy stated knowingly.

"Sweet!" RJ approved. "So you finally got it out of your pants eh Sammy?"

"I bet you had her…"

"Shut up and let's get this moving." The boss was not a patient man to begin with, but it was obvious that whatever little bit he might have had was already gone. He was never one to tempt fate, and he wanted this over with. He always tried to keep their gatherings as short as possible.

Sammy wasn't going to argue; there was no way he was going to get into details anyway.

"You can talk about that shit later. Now let me see the plans; are they set? The shipment's coming and we sure as hell better be ready."

The guys all exchanged looks with most of them ending on a glare at Ray. He was the one that screwed everything up so they were all waiting for him to come forward.

When no one answered, the boss started to get pissed. "What the hell did you guys do all day? I thought I made it clear that everything had to be settled for tonight. Someone needs to start talking and they need to do it now."

When no one manned up, Sammy decided he better. "Plans are done."

"Then what the hell's the problem?"

"We're not sure they're going to work."

"You may be new to this, but I'm not." The boss stated. "I know what we're doing."

Sammy glared at Ray; he shouldn't have to be the one to say. "Did you see the shooting on TV?"

"Yeah, but if you think that's going to stop me; you're dumber than I thought."

"I'm not an idiot." Sammy assured. "I know the cops won't be looking into the gun yet, but it's not the cops I'm worried about."

"Then what the hell is your problem?"

"Not my problem." Sammy stated looking pointedly at Ray.

The boss finally turned to Ray; the continual looks had not been lost on him. "Ray?"

"Um…well…"

"The shooting?"

"I-may-have-sold-the-gun-that-shot-the-cop." He spit out as quickly as he could before cringing.

The boss just laughed. "What the hell's wrong with that? Pig probably deserved it."

Now it was Sammy's turn to cringe, though the rest of the guys seemed to breathe a sigh of relief thinking maybe Sammy had overreacted. _Apparently the boss wasn't worried._

Sammy looked at the boss who was still laughing. "He unloaded it in the area near Supernova…sold it as a single to a guy from the campus."

The boss' head snapped up as soon as Sammy said single. Sammy watched the recognition come over his face, including the worry that accompanied it but it only lasted for a split second. He obviously wasn't about to show his fear.

"You know what that means don't you?" Sammy asked.

The boss looked at Sammy with a steely glare. "Looks like we may be killing two birds with one stone…literally."

"You can't still want to go through with this; you know Vicero's going to want revenge. After he stole the shipment from right under our nose…" Sammy realized reminding the boss of that little tidbit might not have been the best idea so he continued quickly. "He knows you're pissed. He knows you think he's trying to squeeze you out. You don't think this is going to look like you trying to squeeze him out."

"Of course it is."

"And?"

"And he's been pissing me off for years…might as well get this over with once and for all. You afraid, Sammy?"

"Hell ya! I didn't sign up for an all out war."

"Are you sure that's all it is?" The boss asked suspiciously.

"What do you mean?"

"I think you're just afraid that you may have to kill one of your own."

Sammy glared back at him. "I thought we got past this; I am not part of Vicero's crew. I've never even met the guy."

"Maybe not, but I don't think I want to take that chance."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means you may have to sit this one out."

_Shit! _"Sit it out how? "

"We'll leave you here. Then whoever wins can come back and claim you. And you better hope it's them if I ever find out you had anything to do with…"

"I didn't sell the single that started this…."

"That just upped the ante; how do I know you haven't been sitting here waiting to tell him where and when? You just show up out of nowhere and the next thing we know, Vicero steals our shipment and then wages an all out war."

Sammy wasn't sure what he could say to convince him.

"Take me and I'll prove it to you. There'll be no doubt whose side I'm on after the buy." He hoped it was enough and watched as the boss appeared to be weighing his options.

Sammy kept pushing. "You're going to need all the bodies you can get if I know Vice…if it goes down like you think it will." He thought it better that he not take any credit for knowing how Vicero might react.

"You're right, Sammy. RJ, Ray you need to get out on the streets now and round up as many guys as you can."

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Getting worried for your buddy, Sammy?"

"Nope, just thinking you might want to keep it a little more…low key. If Vicero wasn't planning anything but gets wind of what you're doing, it's still going to be a bloodbath."

As much as the boss hated to admit it, Sammy was right. "Keep it quiet, and bring anyone you find back here and I'll have one of the other guys baby sit them. And from now on, no one goes anywhere alone; everyone has eyes on them at all times."

"Someone needs to watch Vicero." Sammy suggested.

"And I suppose you're volunteering for that one. I'm sure you could get real close eh Sammy?"

Sammy just shook his head. "I don't give a shit who you send. I just want to know what I'm getting myself into."

"As if you don't already know." The boss muttered, still not convinced where Sammy's loyalties lay.

"Jimmy, Vic, you need to get some eyes on Vicero."

Sammy rolled his; the boss obviously wasn't an idiot and knew it was a good idea. But Sammy also knew that everything he said and did from now on would be questioned.

"As soon as you both get what you need, get some sleep and then get back here first thing tomorrow to start working on the new plans. I should have a new time and place set by then." As much as he wanted to get rid of Vicero, he wasn't going to make it easy. He would much rather take care of Vicero at another time. Still he would be planning for both.

"What about me?" Sammy asked; he needed to be in on those plans.

"Give me your gun."

"What the…"

"You won't need it."

"I won't?" Sammy had no idea where this was going.

"Nope…you'll be with me for the next couple of days, and my guys here will make sure we're well protected." He motioned to the two goons who followed him everywhere.

"But you still carry a gun." Sammy tried, though he was pretty sure his reasoning wouldn't wash.

"Yes, I do." The boss confirmed, leaving no room for argument.

Sammy handed over his gun. This was not looking good. He was going to have to find some way to get a look at the plans and then some way to be alone long enough to let Boyd in on them.

"Will I be…" Sammy wanted to make sure he was still in on the plans.

"Phone." The boss demanded, holding his palm out to Sammy.

"What the hell?"

"You're going to be busy Sammy; you won't be getting off for a few days." He chuckled darkly at his own pun. "You can call your bitch when it's all over."

"Like I said, Sammy…I hope you got your fill." Vic reminded.

Sammy pulled out his phone slowly and the boss noticed his reluctance. Sammy was hesitant because he was likely losing his only way to contact backup; the boss read it as the girl meaning more to Sammy than he thought. _She must have been pretty good…maybe he could use this to his advantage._

"You wanna call her Sammy?" The boss offered.

Sammy didn't expect that; his mind was reeling. Was there any way he could pretend to call Andy and let Boyd know what was up?

"I can call her?" Sammy confirmed.

"Sure, invite her along; she can keep you occupied while the plans get finalized."

"Well if you don't need me for the plans, why don't I just go to her place and you can call me when it's over." Sammy offered though he was pretty sure he knew what the boss had in mind.

"Nice try. I said you're with me for the next couple of days; you won't be leaving my sight till the deal is done. I was just thinking it might be nice to have something to keep you…focused." The threat was perfectly clear and there was no way Sammy was going to bite.

He swallowed the lump in his throat as he handed the phone over. "Eh…they're a dime dozen." _More like one in a million. _"And if nothing better comes along when we're done, I could always throw her another bone. She'll probably be begging for some more Sammy by then."

The boss was pretty good at reading people; just like a cop, he had to be. He wasn't entirely convinced about Sammy's indifference but he wasn't going to press the issue. He'd talk to the other guys later though; see if they knew who the woman was or where they could find her.

The boss turned back to the group. "You guys know what to do, and no one goes out alone. Sammy, let's go; I've got some phone calls to make."

Sammy followed along wordlessly. _He had to find a way to get a hold of Boyd._ He was glad that he had immediately memorized the number from the napkin. Some guys were fine with programming it into their phone, but it left too much to chance. You never knew when your phone could fall into the wrong hands; it just wasn't worth it...and today proved that.

His mind continued to race as he kept his face neutral. _Why the hell hadn't he told Andy more details when he saw her earlier? He knew why…he had been too worried about her. His head should have been in the game though; if it was, he would have made sure to pass on more information when he had the chance. But then again he hadn't really known much at that point. At least he had told Boyd about the potential turf war; if they were watching Vicero , which they should be, hopefully that would help. _

He got into the back of the car with the boss, trying his best to look unaffected. He had no doubt that he could find out when and where by weaseling his way into the planning, but getting word to Boyd was going to be a whole other story.

* * *

><p>Sam had been gone for a couple of minutes before Andy finally composed herself and headed for home. When she got there, she headed straight for the bathroom pulling her shirt off along the way before holding it to her face. She sighed; it still smelled like him.<p>

Reluctantly, she dropped the shirt to the floor and removed the rest of her clothes before stepping into the shower. She turned her face into the water and winced at the pain as the spray hit her bruised ribs. She rotated that side away from the stream as she washed the day's events from her body.

When she finally stepped out almost a half hour later, she wrapped the towel around her torso before scooping her clothes up off the floor and heading to her bedroom. She dropped everything except for the shirt into the hamper and changed into her night clothes.

She walked slowly out to the kitchen to grab something to eat. She really didn't feel hungry, but was pretty sure it was in her best interests. She made a quick sandwich, grabbed a bottle of water and moved to her bed.

As soon as she finished eating, she slid down under the covers and tucked her hands in close to her face, pulling her t-shirt along with them. She tried closing her eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. She sat up and took a couple of painkillers hoping to not only dull the ache but bring on the much needed rest.

She lay back down and glanced at the clock; it was almost eleven. Even if she wanted to now, her eyes refused to close; she knew where he would be.

She watched every minute pass on the clock as she wondered how it was going, telling herself over and over that he would be fine. At some point near midnight she drifted off to sleep unable to fight the effects of the medication any longer; her hands still maintaining the death grip they had on her t-shirt.


	7. Chapter 7

Here is the next chapter...finally. Sorry it took so long.

Special thanks to mamaverd and Sairs J for their words of encouragement and for willingly taking on the role of sounding board. They definitely helped me get to where I wanted to go with this chapter.

* * *

><p>Andy woke up the next morning with her t-shirt still resting beneath her head. She turned her face just enough and took a deep breath; the scent had faded but she closed her eyes and clung to the faint trace that was unmistakably Sam. <em>Sam. <em>She found herself replaying the too few, stolen moments they had together last night before she could even consider getting up.

When she finally moved to roll over, she felt more than heard herself moan, the earlier events of yesterday making themselves known through the stiffness and soreness of her body. She reached down to lift up the hem of her night shirt and take another look confirming that it was going to get worse before it got better. The bruise had already darkened and was definitely looking a lot more menacing.

She was immediately thankful that Best had told her to take the day off to recover, until she realized that meant too many hours with nothing to do but worry about Sam. She contemplated pulling the covers back over her head but she knew she had to get moving. It would be too easy to stay paralyzed in bed worrying and wondering, and she was not about to spend all that time driving herself crazy.

She rolled over and pushed herself to sit up gritting her teeth as she tried to stretch out the aches. She knew she'd made one move too many when the pain shot through her side and tears pooled in her eyes. Once the pain had reduced itself back to the familiar dull ache, she stood.

Having showered the night before, Andy headed straight for the kitchen. Last night's sandwich had long since left her system and she was more than a little hungry. Normally, she would have grabbed something as she ran out the door to make it to parade, but she had the luxury of time this morning so she made herself some eggs and toast and sat down to eat.

As she ate, she made her plans. The house was overdue for a cleaning and she obviously had the time so she might as well make use of it. Maybe the light activity would also work out a few more kinks.

She set to work as soon as the dishes were in the sink and by the time noon rolled around she was more than satisfied that everything was clean. She hadn't done this thorough a job in a long time, but it helped to keep her mind busy and her body active. She actually hadn't planned on doing that much, but she found that whenever her hands became idle, it had the opposite effect on her mind. If she didn't stay occupied, it was going to be an awfully long week, or two, or three…she wished she knew when Sam's bust was going down so she at least had something to look forward to.

Andy was pulled from her thoughts by a loud but not unwelcome buzz that let her know that someone wanted in. It was Traci; Andy met her at the door happy to find that she had stopped by with takeout for lunch.

Traci walked into the apartment and immediately shaded her eyes; it looked like every surface in the place was shining. "Whoa…I guess I don't have to ask what you've been up to today."

"Yeah…I may have been overcompensating a little." Andy admitted.

"Ya think?" Traci chuckled.

Andy allowed herself to laugh along with Traci as she sat down at the coffee table to start emptying the takeout bag.

"You sure we don't need a tablecloth or something? I should probably take off my shoes too. Is it ok if…"

"Shut up." Andy said through a snicker.

While they ate, Traci tried to get Andy to talk to her. Andy told her about seeing Sam on the weekend and about his phone call at the station but didn't tell her about seeing him last night. It wasn't that she didn't trust her; she'd just rather keep it to herself.

Knowing Traci didn't have a lot of time, the girls finished quickly before Andy convinced her friend to drive her into the barn with her. She still had some paperwork left over from the shooting, and since there was really nothing else left to do in the house, it was the only thing Andy could think of to keep her mind distracted.

She had been there about two hours when she felt herself starting to fade. She had long finished the paperwork on the shooting and was about half way through her backlog. She was just deciding how much longer to stay when Frank came out of his office and kicked her out reminding her that she was supposed to be at home recovering.

When he wouldn't take no for an answer, she started off for home. She was about a block away when she saw Boyd drive by in his car. He didn't see her though and she was sort of glad that he hadn't been at the barn when she was there…in case he asked about Sam. On the other hand, she would have liked to ask him how Sam's meeting had gone, but knowing Boyd he probably wouldn't have shared much…at least not with her.

When she checked her watch, it was still fairly early and she found herself walking by Sam's house. Of course, there was no activity but still it allowed her to feel closer to him. She closed her eyes and rested on the step for a few moments before standing up and heading for home.

Along the way, she made a decision to stop at a little diner and grab something to eat. As she opened the door, she got the distinct feeling that someone was looking at her. But when she looked back, all she could see was a couple of guys walking in the other direction. She shook her head; she had to be imagining things.

As she continued through the doorway, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned once again. She could have sworn that one of the guys had just looked away. She had been planning on taking the food home, but decided she'd rather eat in and make sure the two guys had left. She had no proof that they were up to no good, but Sam was always telling her to trust her gut and her gut said to stay put for awhile.

When she finally left, she took a good look around and when she was satisfied that there was no one there, she took off for home as quickly as she could. By the time she arrived at her apartment, she was exhausted. Between all the cleaning and the walking, her body had had enough and that meant a quick shower and off to bed.

* * *

><p>On the other side of town, Sammy was even more restless than Andy. He'd had a crappy night's sleep and his frustration was only compounded by the knowledge that he would probably be doing absolutely nothing all day.<p>

When he had finally came out of his room, the first thing he noticed was his cell phone clearly sitting in the middle of the coffee table. He refused to let his gaze to linger on it though; he couldn't let the boss see how badly he wanted to pick it up. He needed to earn back some trust and any kind of movement to get his phone or even any attraction to his phone would likely be seen as a sign of guilt. So Sammy did whatever he could to avoid looking at it at all.

As expected, Sammy wasn't allowed to do anything all day, and though he absolutely despised every minute of it, he tried to make the most of it. When nothing else was going on in the apartment, which was most of the time, he did his best to try and figure out how he could get back in the boss' good graces, how he could prove his loyalty and get back in the game. He needed back in if there was any hope of making the bust.

He wasn't worried…yet. He was pretty sure he still had a week so he wasn't going to rush things; if he looked too anxious, he was just going to raise more suspicion. He knew he would have to bide his time and simply take every opportunity as it presented itself. Still, it was hard; he wasn't used to doing nothing and it went against his very nature.

In between hours of inactivity, the boss would be on the phone, and Sammy made sure he was always close whenever that happened. He tried to look occupied or indifferent, but he was listening to every word trying to commit everything to memory. If he couldn't physically do anything, at least he could listen and hopefully garner some information.

He'd been there all day and only learned three things: one, they now had eyes on Vicero but there was no indication of a threat…yet; two, they'd added 5 more guys to their crew and they were now all taking shifts; and three, the planning for the buy was not going well.

Sammy really wasn't surprised about the last one; these guys weren't very good at winging it or speculating. If the deal was straightforward, they had enough experience to plan it all. But this time they had the variable of Vicero and they seemed to be at a loss.

Sammy gave an audible sigh as he pulled his hand through his hair. The boss turned to look at him. "You have something to say Sammy?"

"You know I could help."

The boss snapped; the pressure of the day had been looking for release and Sam had just made himself a willing target. "Listen up, Sammy, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once. If you want to keep breathing and I'm guessing you do, you don't stick your nose into any of my business unless I tell you to stick it there. Got it?"

_Loud and clear, _Sammy thought. But before he had a chance to respond, the boss' phone rang again. He could tell by the immediate change in his demeanor that this was the big one; it had to be the gun runner. As the volume of the conversation increased, it was obvious that neither man was happy with the changes that were being forced upon them. When the boss finally threw his phone down, Sammy spent the next few minutes going over everything in his head committing every word to memory and trying to piece together what it could all mean.

And then there was that stupid buzz again. Not looking at his cell phone had been getting more and more difficult for Sammy. Periodically throughout the day, his phone had buzzed as it logged text message after text message. He wasn't overly worried; he knew Boyd wasn't an idiot. Any messages would be vague enough not to be suspicious. Still he knew that no answer at all sometimes spoke volumes and he knew Boyd was getting more and more worked up as the day went on.

Each time the cell had buzzed, he had felt the boss' gaze on him looking for any indication that Sammy was losing his cool. And unfortunately this time, Sammy's guard was down and he did not disappoint; his eyes only fell on it briefly but still it was enough.

Enough to push the boss to finally pick it up; he needed something to take his mind off that last call anyway. He flipped through the texts: 'Where'd u disappear 2?', 'Can u give me a call', 'Hoping to hear from u again.', 'When can I see u again?', 'Hope u haven't forgot about me.', 'Call me.'

"Looks like your 'lady' friend…" the boss scoffed with a heavy smirk on the lady, "is a little…needy. Sure you don't want to invite her over Sammy?" He asked, wiggling the phone under Sammy's nose like a bone to a dog.

"I'm good." Sammy answered indifferently.

"Looks like your 'friend' thinks so too." The boss sniggered at his own crude joke.

Sammy attempted a grin to humor the boss; he only hoped it didn't look like the grimace it felt like.

Sammy decided to change the subject. "We heading to the warehouse tonight?"

"Not tonight. We'll head over in the morning to go over everything. We don't have a lot of time."

Sammy raised his eyebrows.

"All in due time, Sammy, all in due time."

At the end of the night, Sammy lay down in his room and replayed all the information over and over. There was no way he could write anything down, but there was also no way he wanted to lose any of it either. Unfortunately with a one-sided conversation, what he had wasn't much. He went to sleep hoping tomorrow he would get his chance to get more involved. His best bet would be at the warehouse; if the guys were as incompetent as he thought, his time would come. He spent the next hour thinking of all the ways to help protect the deal if Vicero showed up.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Andy got up with her alarm; she was still somewhat stiff but again tried to stretch it out. If Best noticed her favoring her ribs at all she would be on desk; as it was, it was still a distinct possibility.<p>

After making her way to the barn, she got dressed in the locker room and took a deep breath ready to put on a brave face. She strode purposefully into parade and took her seat next to Traci. Frank asked her how she was and she assured him she was good to go. When Best assigned her to ride with Shaw, she grinned, happy to be back on the streets and kept busy.

The morning was fairly uneventful, but they soon got a call for a disturbance outside a bar. They pulled up out front and Andy's mouth dropped open in surprise. She immediately turned her head away from the bar and slunk down in her seat. Oliver had his door ajar and was moving to get out when he noticed Andy wasn't following his lead. He looked at her; normally all of the rookies were chomping at the bit and jumping out hoping to be the first one into the fray.

"What the hell are you doing, McNally. Let's go."

"I can't"

"McNally, move. You told Frank you were good to go…so go."

"I know that guy; well I don't know him, know him, but…"

"Today!"

Before he could stop her, Andy grabbed the radio. "1519 requesting backup." "10-4, 1519"

Oliver looked at her the confusion clear in his eyes; _it was just two guys._

"I was at this bar on Saturday…."

"Do I look like Dr. Phil?" He grumbled as he jumped out of the car alone knowing full well she wasn't coming with him.

"Well maybe with a mustache…" He heard her mutter as he headed to break up the fight. Dov and Chris pulled up right behind him, wasting no time in joining him.

While the three men were breaking up the fight, Andy called in again asking for another car for transport. Oliver was still shaking his head at her behavior, but he wasn't stupid; there had to be a pretty big reason she didn't want either of these guys in a car with her. They put one guy in with Dov and Chris and the other into Noelle's car before Oliver got back behind the wheel and turned to Andy. "Seriously, McNally…what? You sleep with him and forget to call?"

She glared at him; _did he really think she would do that. Did he know her at all?_

"No wait, let me guess; he got a little too friendly and you took him down. Or maybe you got a little handsy and he wouldn't put out? You know what…who the hell cares. McNally I don't give a shit if you shot the guy down, or he shot you down or who didn't call who, you needed to get out there."

"He couldn't see me like this." She insisted.

"Like what?"

"Like this." She said, gesturing to her uniform before continuing. "I was at a bachelorette party on Saturday night." She held up her hand knowing Oliver was about to interrupt with some smart ass remark. She looked him square in the eye. "I saw Sam."

Oliver's eyes widened. "You saw Sam, but he's…"

"Undercover…I know. He was at the club with a group of guys, including one of those guys you just arrested. He hadn't been able to contact Boyd because they took his phone and he didn't dare contact any number attached to the old phone. He needed a new number to call and I got it for him under the guise of giving him mine."

Oliver was a little embarrassed at jumping to conclusions. "And if that guy had seen you as a cop..."

She nodded her head. Neither one of them needed to spell out how much trouble it would have meant for Sam.

"I'm…I shouldn't have…"

"It's fine." She brushed off the apology; it wasn't important right now.

"Well, okay then. I guess we need to steer clear of the barn for awhile. I should probably give Boyd a heads up and make sure he takes a listen, maybe puts a tail on these guys when they get let go."

"I'll call Traci and ask her to let us know when they're released."

"In the meantime, guess that means you're buying me lunch."

* * *

><p>Sammy's alarm that same morning came in the form of a fist pounding on his door. He was surprised; he almost never slept in, but then again he had stayed up the better part of the night going over plan ideas in his head. "Yeah, yeah…I'm up. I'm up."<p>

"You got 15." Came the grunted reply.

Sammy jumped up, pulled on his jeans and shirt. Already used to skipping showers, he brushed his teeth and splashed water on his face and was ready to go.

When they got to the warehouse, Ray was noticeably absent. Sammy decided he must be out keeping an eye on Vicero with one of the new guys. Sammy watched from a distance as the boss reviewed the plans with the rest of the crew. He wasn't allowed anywhere close, but he was definitely chomping at the bit.

His eyes took in every move of the boss, and it was easy to see that he wasn't a happy man. It wasn't long before he started yelling wondering how the hell these plans were any different than the ones they had just thrown out. There appeared to have been no contingency for the possibility of Vicero showing up.

Sammy was trying not to grin, knowing that it was only a matter of time now. All he needed was a catalyst that would force the boss' hand and finally push him to let Sammy 'stick his nose in'.

"Problems?" Sammy asked, pressing his luck a little.

Vic looked up; he knew that Sammy was good and he knew how well he thought on his feet. They needed him. He looked to the boss and was about to plead Sammy's case when his phone rang.

Everyone listened as he muttered and swore under his breath before hanging up. "Shit!"

They all looked at him expectantly and he quickly informed them that Ray had been involved in a scuffle with one of Vicero's guys on their turf. They'd both been arrested.

Everyone knew that if Vicero wasn't on alert already, he would be now. It looked like a confrontation was going to be inevitable.

The boss was fuming. As they all waited for the cursing to subside, Sammy was running through his own list of profanities, at least internally. If Ray was arrested in or near Vicero's territory, it was more than likely that he was in 15th division. Sammy could only hope that Ray didn't run into Andy, and knowing her luck, the odds weren't that great.

He was happy when the boss called his lawyer to go bail Ray out, thankful that at least no one else who 'knew' her would be going over there. Sammy waited a few minutes after the boss hung up, finally clearing his throat.

The boss looked over; he didn't look happy about it but he no longer had a choice. "Sammy, you're up."

_Yes!_


	8. Chapter 8

Here is the next chapter. Sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy it.

Thanks again to Sairs J and mamaverd for their help.

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><p>The boss looked over; he didn't look happy about it but he no longer had a choice. "Sammy, you're up."<p>

_Yes! _Sammy was finally getting his chance.

Sammy spent the next few hours going over the plans they already had and showing the rest of the guys how they could be better prepared in the event that Vicero showed up. He changed the positions of almost everyone, making sure that he was going to be front and center when it all went down. Now he would just need the boss to give it the okay. He knew the strategy was sound; he just wasn't sure if the boss would allow him to be as involved as he wanted.

Although Sammy was more than exhausted when they finished, he was thankful that he had spent a lot of time the night before thinking of the contingency plans. He had just proved his worth tenfold, and it was obvious that everyone else knew it. He only hoped that once the boss saw the plans, that his trust level in Sammy might be back and he might loosen up the constraints a little.

His UC apartment may have been a hell hole, but it was much preferred to having the two goons watching his every move. Plus, a little freedom might allow him to find a way to contact Boyd. He was pretty sure it was too much to think that he would get his phone back, but he could always hope. Maybe he could talk one of the guys into letting him use theirs.

Every detail had been reviewed with every possible scenario gone over and Sammy's plan appeared to be airtight. They were just about to give it one last once over when the door to the warehouse opened and in stepped Ray.

All the voices erupted at once, each one blending into the next: 'What the hell happened?', 'What were you thinking?', 'I hope you kept your mouth shut.', 'Does Vicero know?'

Sammy kept himself out of the fray and waited for it to die down before taking control yet again. "Tell us everything, and don't leave anything out." He ordered. "We need to know it all."

"Can't." Ray replied stubbornly, refusing to allow Sammy to call the shots.

"What do you mean you can't?" Sammy practically yelled. He needed to know what Ray knew about Vicero and what, if anything, he saw at the station.

"Boss is on his way; told me to keep my mouth shut 'til he got here."

Sammy cursed under his breath; he had really wanted a chance to talk to Ray before the boss showed up. The other guys weren't likely to pick up on anything that Sammy might find important, but the boss probably would.

Sammy sulked in the corner until the big man and his goons arrived, and it took all of his willpower not to yell at Ray to start talking immediately. Thankfully the boss was an impatient man as well and he didn't waste any time getting Ray to spill.

Apparently Ray had been watching Vicero during the day right from the start. He and one of the new recruits were on day and then they switched off with RJ and another guy for nights. Nothing much had been happening; Vicero himself had stayed fairly close to his main business, rarely even venturing out. But today it looked like he had called everyone to one of his storage sites. Ray and his cohort had counted six guys not including Vicero and his two goons.

The boss looked over to Sammy who nodded his acknowledgment, knowing without words what the boss wanted to know. Sammy had noted how many guys there could be and knew his plans had it covered. Seemingly happy with Sammy's response, he turned back to Ray and motioned for him to continue.

Ray explained that they had all stayed in the place for a good two hours when one guy left on his own. Ray thought it could be important so he decided to tail him. He left the other guy to keep watch on the warehouse with strict instructions to call for someone to come join him. He looked around wondering if anyone got a call. RJ confirmed that he had dropped off another guy to stay at the warehouse with Ray's partner, and said he would talk to them and find out what else went down when he relieved them later.

So Ray told them that he followed this guy for over a half hour until he realized that it was just a drop; he met some guy, took the money, and handed over a gun.

"I thought he might have seen me so I stepped into a bar that was across the street. I stayed for a drink and then left thinking he had probably gone too. But when I came out, he jumped me. "

The boss swore at Ray wondering how he could be so stupid as to get caught.

Ray continued sheepishly, knowing he really had no excuse. "He took a swing at me so I fought back. He got hold of me and tried to drag me away, said he wanted to take me back to 'meet someone'. I knew exactly what he meant and there was no way in hell I was going without a fight. Someone from the bar must have called the cops right away because before I knew it, three cars showed up."

That surprised Sammy; there was really only need for two cars at the most - one for each guy.

"First one must have been real close, but I think they must have already had someone in the back. One cop didn't even get out, and me and Vicero's guy were taken to the other cars."

That made no sense to Sammy; it was definitely not procedure.

"Anyway, they took me back to the station and threw me in a cell. Took a bit of time until someone came in to talk to me but I clammed up and told them I wanted my call and was waiting for my lawyer. They weren't too happy about it but I really didn't give a shit. So lawyer comes, bails me out, got all my stuff back and here I am." Ray seemed pretty proud of himself and looked expectantly at the boss, hoping for a little recognition that he had at least handled himself well at the station.

Sammy was lost in his own thoughts; he still wasn't sure what was going on with the cars, but what he did know was that if they had any idea who Ray was, they would have searched his phone for numbers. If it was a routine disturbance though, that might not have happened. _Dammit! _He thought. _ If Andy had been there, she would have recognized Ray and told them he was part of the gang. But then again, if Andy __**was**__ there, Ray could have outed her and subsequently him._

Sammy's attention was snapped back when Vic asked Ray a very important question. "Did Vicero's guy know who you were?"

"I think so." Ray admitted, stealing a sidelong glance at the boss. "He said a couple of things about sticking my nose into their business and were they going to have to 'put a stop to it'."

The boss had heard enough; he spoke quietly to his goons and headed to the door. He ordered everyone to be there at ten o'clock tomorrow morning as they would be scoping out the buy site. Previously, he had only given them the layout so they could complete the prep, but he had yet to give them the exact location. Tomorrow they would be going to test out Sammy's plan and make sure nothing, or no one, would get in their way.

Sammy was anxious to find out more specifics, but could only hope he would get his chance to talk to Boyd. As he watched the boss move closer to the exit, he kept quiet to see if he would leave without him. He wasn't sure if the boss was ready to trust him again or if it was because he was just preoccupied, but Sammy wasn't about to bring attention to the fact that he wasn't supposed to be leaving the man's sight 'til the deal was done.W

Unfortunately, Ray wasn't privy to Sam's thoughts and he took that moment to call Sam out. "Oh yeah…hey Sammy! Wanna know what that sweet little bachelorette babe of yours does when you're not around?"

Sam's head snapped up. _Shit!  
><em>

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><p>Boyd was practically pacing his office on Thursday morning. <em>Dammit! Why hadn't Sam called yet? There had to be something going down by now. They had followed Ray to the warehouse watching as the big man appeared not long after. They were obviously meeting about something because they saw quite a few guys leave a while later including Sam with the boss. Why didn't he find a way to make the call? Sam was good; he always made the call. Well, at least they had eyes on Vicero and now the gang, but eyes weren't enough to make the bust. They could follow them, but they couldn't be prepared and there was too much left to chance. They needed more.<em>

Sam hadn't responded to any of Boyd's texts and he needed answers, and he needed them now. He finally broke down and decided to call Sam on his cell. He thought about asking McNally to make the call, but he still wasn't sure if he wanted her to. What would she do if the wrong person answered? Would she be able to ad lib her way out of it? So far the only thing she was good at pretending was being Sam's girlfriend.

Andy was out on patrol with Chris when Dispatch called her back in. When she arrived, she was ushered to Boyd's office and told that he wanted to talk to her about Sam's op. Before he could ask her how she felt about making the call, she asked him how Sam's meeting went the other night.

Boyd's guys scoped out a meeting yesterday afternoon, but how the hell would McNally know about that. _If Sam wasn't calling him, he sure as hell better not be calling McNally._

"What the f…" He took a deep breath, knowing it wouldn't help getting her on the defensive.

"What meeting?" Boyd asked through his teeth.

_Shit!_ Andy quickly realized that she just blew it; she should not have known anything about Sam's meeting and now she had to cover their tracks. "He must have mentioned it that night at the bar; I guess I just assumed it had happened by now." She tried.

Boyd furrowed his eyebrows; she was still a terrible liar. If he had to, he could probably guess how she might know; Sam always bragged about how he could lose any tail. And Boyd knew the man well; he knew that if Sam wanted to see someone bad enough even while undercover, he would. And it was pretty obvious from Sam's call earlier in the week that McNally would fit the bill. But Boyd needed to hear it from her.

"Why is it you're only believable when you're pretending to be in love with Swarek?"

Andy knew she wasn't fooling him but she didn't appreciate his implication; he had no right to talk to her like that. She couldn't decide whether to give him an earful or just turn and walk out. Before she had a chance to make her decision, Boyd continued. "When did you see him?"

He saw the guilt flash in her eyes and he knew he had hit the nail on the head. She still looked undecided though so it was time to play his ace. "McNally, Swarek hasn't called in since that day he talked to you. I need to know what you know so I can keep him safe."

With Sam's well being on the line, Andy had no choice; she would never take that kind of chance. "I, uh, may have run into him the night I got shot."

Boyd didn't even flinch; he knew it. "Tell me everything and then I'll tell you what I can."

"I was walking home from the Penny when he stopped me. We…uh…talked for a bit and I told him I was okay." _Boyd didn't need to know it was anything more than talking._ "Before we could finish, he got a call to meet that night at eleven o'clock. That's all I know; I don't know where and I don't know what happened. I haven't seen him since; I swear."

That Boyd did believe. "Okay. Well I don't know much either; like I said, he hasn't called in."

Andy took a deep breath. _This didn't sound good._

Boyd could see the fear written plainly on her face, and was uncharacteristically kind to her. "Don't read too much into it. Swarek is good, always has been. He'll find a way, and if he doesn't, we will. Thanks to you and Shaw, we followed that Ray character and we saw them all come out of a meeting, including Sam. We'll keep our eyes on him; don't worry."

"I'll go in." She blurted. "Just tell me where and when and I can pretend…"

Boyd interrupted her. "Only as a last resort; I don't want to put another uniform in danger. Right now we've still got some options and I'm not comfortable putting you in there just yet."

"Like you said; I can make this believable."

Boyd knew that but he was also pretty sure she wasn't pretending, and he wasn't convinced that those emotions wouldn't just get in the way. But if he didn't get a hold of Sam soon, this might be there only option.

"I'll let you know." He confirmed before dismissing her.

Andy simply nodded her head as she exited the office. She didn't trust her voice at that moment as she was still having trouble swallowing the dread that had crept up from her stomach. She took a couple of deep breaths as she approached the bullpen hoping to find Chris. He had said he was going to tackle some paperwork till she was done her meeting. Right now, she just needed to get back out on the streets to keep busy and take her mind off of Sam. Pushing a pen was not going to cut it.

Before Andy had even left his office, Boyd knew he couldn't trust her to make this call. If they got someone else, this could make or break everything and she wasn't ready. But if he didn't reach Sam, he also knew that she was probably their only hope of contacting him. She was the only one who could do it as she had already established a believable relationship with him. No one would question it if she showed up.

Boyd sat for a few moments going over his decision on how to approach this; he had been thinking about it for awhile now. If he got someone else, he would pretend to be Andy's brother yelling at some asshole who broke his sister's heart.

He dialed the number that had shown up on the phone when Sam called in a couple of days ago. As it rang, he prepared himself. A male voice answered; it definitely wasn't Swarek, but he couldn't let on that he knew that. "Is this Sammy?"

The boss was surprised to hear a male voice; he was expecting Sammy's needy little girlfriend. "Who wants to know?"

"Just answer the question."

"Yeah, sure. This is Sammy." He lied.

Boyd had no choice but to play along. "Who the hell do you think you are? You stay the hell away from my sister! If I catch you so much as anywhere even remotely close to her…"

"What if she comes to me? Have you thought of that." The boss interrupted. "Better check that phone of hers; sounds to me like she wants something pretty bad. Is she there?"

"Stay the hell away!"

"Oh, I'm not sure I'm quite ready to do that. Actually I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with her just as soon as I can."

Boyd cringed. There seemed to be a lot more truth to that statement than he was comfortable with. He knew getting Andy in would be easy, but he quickly realized that getting her out might prove to be a little more difficult. At this point though, he wasn't sure he had a choice.

"Don't push me." Boyd warned putting a lot more truth behind his words as well.

"Pushing is the least of your worries."


	9. Chapter 9

To those who read my last chapter early, the first line may sound a little different. It was one of the few lines I wasn't happy with in the previous chapter, and I did end up going back and changing it. Still not sure I'm 100% happy with the line, but just can't seem to get it perfect. Sorry for the confusion. Obviously it was Andy that Ray saw, but now we just need to find out where he saw her.

Oh yeah...and this one's a long one...hopefully not too long. Thanks, mamaverd!

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><p>Unfortunately, Ray wasn't privy to Sammy's thoughts and he took that moment to call Sammy out. "Oh yeah…hey Sammy! Wanna know what that sweet little bachelorette babe of yours does when you're not around?"<p>

Sammy's head snapped up. _Shit!_

He recovered his poker face just in time as Ray's revelation also caught the boss' attention. From the corner of his eye, Sammy could see that the boss was watching him waiting to see if he would take the bait. Sammy's mind was racing. _Should he ask? Did he want to know? Would the boss think it more suspicious if he did or didn't ask?_

Sammy decided quickly that it would be best to play it off. "She can do whatever the hell she wants. It was one night; doesn't make her mine."

He swallowed back the distaste in his mouth before he continued. "Might make her wish she was mine. I mean once she's had a taste of Sammy…" He tried to keep the disgust off his face as the rest of the guys laughed crudely. "I got no ties to her; hell, I don't even know where she works…if she works." _Come on Ray…what do you know?_

"You sure, Sammy? That chick is smokin' hot." Ray argued. "You telling me that one night was enough…cause that girl…man she looked like she could bring a grown man to his knees…or maybe she was the one…"

_That's enough. _Sam quickly interrupted not wanting to hear the next thing that came out of Ray's mouth. "Let me guess then. She was drowning her sorrows in that bar 'cause Sammy hadn't called her back, and one night wasn't enough **for** **her**." He retorted, figuring that was safe, just indifferent enough but could still lead Ray to tell him where and when. Unfortunately the boss seemed to be hanging on every word too.

Ray laughed louder. "Naw, man….that was probably later. No, I thought I saw her going into a diner yesterday. I'm pretty sure it was her, but we were headin' the other way so I didn't have time to check on her…for you."

_Back the hell off. _Sam let out the breath he had been holding, but it was only in partial relief. Although Ray hadn't seen Andy at the station, he had also implied that he would go talk to her if given the chance, and Sam didn't want Ray anywhere near Andy.

Thankfully she mustn't have been in one of the cruisers that picked Ray up either. But unfortunately that also meant that no one would know how important it would be to keep tabs on Ray.

The boss watched Sammy for another second seemingly mulling over what had been said. He just hoped he had played it right. As the boss was turning to the door, Sammy thought his reprieve had finally come until the boss yelled. "What are you waiting for Sammy? An invitation? Let's go!"

Sammy slid off his perch in the corner and headed for the door. "See you tomorrow." He shot back to the guys, his eyes landing on Vic.

Vic was more than happy that Sammy was back in the fold and helping with the plans. He had done great today and Vic felt bad that he was still on the boss' shit list. But not bad enough to stick up for him – no one crossed the boss and lived to tell about it.

So Sammy spent another night in the 'guest bedroom' before being woken up by the pounding on the door and another fifteen minute warning. At least this time he hadn't stayed up all night; the second his head hit the pillow he had been out. He had dropped onto the bed completely exhausted from not sleeping the night before and from all the mental preparations, and he still hadn't figured out how in the hell he was going to get word to Boyd.

When his fifteen minutes were up, he was taken directly to the warehouse to meet up with the rest of the gang. They piled into three vehicles and headed to the pier, each taking a different route. The last thing they needed was to draw attention; Ray had done plenty of that yesterday, which was why he was no longer on Vicero.

The second they reached dock number 14, Sammy knew this was it; every building, alleyway, dumpster, matched the plans they had been given perfectly. He quickly envisioned his strategy playing out and he knew they were ready. So as soon as everyone arrived, Sammy walked them through every piece of the puzzle, confirming that everyone knew where they would be and what they would be doing.

Sammy asked the boss a few pointed questions, but the man obviously wasn't in a sharing mood so he just worked with what he had. In the end, the boss seemed to be satisfied with the plan and didn't even flinch when Sammy announced himself as part of the team to inspect the merchandise. If the boss had any reservations, Sammy didn't see them; things were looking up.

It had only been a couple of hours when Sammy heard the familiar ring tone of his cell phone; he reached for his pocket out of habit. When he came up empty, he remembered that it wasn't in his possession. He made sure to avert his eyes, but he was doing whatever he could to pick up any clue as to who was on the other end. But all he got was "who wants to know," before the boss waved them on and walked away.

When they got back to the warehouse just over another hour later, they started planning for the firepower they were going to need. The boss hadn't appeared after the phone call though; from what Sammy was told, he was making arrangements for the money.

Sammy had no idea what types of guns they had access to, but when he told them what he wanted, they just nodded. It didn't seem like much of anything was off limits. Still Sam had to wonder if he would even get his hands on a gun. Sure it looked like the boss had resigned himself to the fact that Sammy would be taking part, but he had said nothing about giving him a gun yet. But clearly the boss would realize that it was too dangerous for Sammy to go into this unarmed_…wouldn't he? And who was on the damned phone?_

After shooting the shit for a few hours, Sammy was taken back to the apartment. The boss wasn't even there, but unfortunately Sammy still had a babysitter. And after failing at any attempts to make nice, Sammy finished a beer and headed to his room to reevaluate. He now knew where; he just needed to know when. He had to find a way to tip off Boyd and he needed to get someone to lend him a phone.

_Maybe he could convince Ray he wanted to phone his 'babe'. Ray would definitely get that._ Tomorrow Sammy would give it a shot; Ray was just gullible enough to fall for something like that.

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><p>Friday morning Boyd had a decision to make – would he, or even should he, send McNally in to make contact with Swarek? It had been a good day yesterday. Now that they had eyes on the gang they were able to determine where the buy was taking place; they just needed to know when. Boyd did have some resources but not enough. He could put round the clock surveillance on the pier but he already had guys on the gang and Vicero 247; he really didn't know how many more bodies he could scrounge up before the bust. As it was, he was already stretching his team pretty thin. Being able to watch was great but they would still need time to mobilize a unit for the takedown.

Besides knowing where, they also had a good idea on numbers. Including Sam, his gang had 12 plus the boss, and Vicero appeared to have about 9 including the big man himself. That was a lot of bodies to bring down. But so far they hadn't seen Vicero anywhere near the buy site.

As soon as Sam's group had left it yesterday morning, Boyd's team had moved in. They didn't know exactly how it was going down, but they could at least scope out a few key locations. And from what it looked like, Sam had had a hand in the planning because every location they saw had good lines of sight.

Boyd was feeling a little better, but there were still key things missing. When was it going to go down? What firepower did they have? And were Vicero and his guys really going to show? Sam couldn't help them on the last one though so they would have to figure that out some other way. The rest they needed to hear from Sam.

And therein lay the problem; Sam wasn't in possession of the phone and he obviously hadn't found another way to contact him.

That meant Boyd's hands were tied and he was going to have to send McNally in. The question was…where would she go? He couldn't send her into the warehouse; he might as well just throw her to the lions. If they had even an inkling that she knew their lair, she would be a liability.

And the guys had really only travelled to and from the warehouse and dock…and presumably their homes. But his team couldn't keep eyes on everyone so they had stuck with the warehouse, the boss and Sam.

So where could they send her? And when? Boyd decided the first step was to meet with Best and then McNally

For the second day in a row, Andy was called back in off the streets but this time she was summoned to Best's office. Her first panicked thought was that something had happened to Sam; when she reached the barn and saw that Boyd was also in with Best she had to make a detour into the locker room.

Her heart was racing and she knew that if she didn't control it soon she would find herself on the floor. She hunched over as she gasped for another breath. Trying to relax her breathing, she kept telling herself over and over that this didn't have to mean that something was wrong. _He was okay. He was okay. He was okay._

When she finally felt like she at least resembled calm, she headed to the Sarge's office.

Best listened patiently watching Andy's face for any kind of reaction as Boyd reiterated what he had just told Frank. She listened as he explained that he called Sam's phone, but Sam didn't answer. At the panicked look, Frank cut in and assured her that they had visual confirmation that Swarek was okay, but he just wasn't in any position to contact them.

Andy looked up then. "I'm going in." It wasn't a question or a demand; it was just a statement she knew to be true.

Boyd confirmed it and looked over at Best. He must have accepted Andy's reaction because he gave his nod of approval. "You are." Boyd confirmed.

"What do you want me to do?"

Boyd explained that they were hoping to send her in, but it had to appear to be a chance encounter. They couldn't just have her show up anywhere because that could look like she was stalking him and no one on the wrong side of the law wanted to find out that someone had been keeping tabs on them. That someone usually ended up at the bottom of a lake somewhere.

So Andy was told to go home and get ready. She was instructed to clean up and then gather a few different outfits as they wouldn't know where or when until the last minute. She would then be in the barn for the rest of the day doing paperwork until a call came in to say they had their chance.

Just as they were about to let her go, Gail knocked on the door. "You wanted to see me sir."

Andy looked between Boyd and Best; _was she dismissed then?_

She was surprised when they ushered Gail in without sending Andy on her way. She quickly realized that they didn't want her going in all alone so Gail would be going in with her as the friend. They wanted someone Andy would be comfortable with and Traci wasn't available. Best would have preferred one of the guys, but both Dov and Chris had been involved in the scuffle with Ray so they weren't even an option. But he was assured that Boyd and his team wouldn't be far so this would have to do.

Both Gail and Andy headed home to get ready, with orders to be back within the hour…just in case.

The two girls waited around all day before heading home with orders to rest if they could; there was no telling when they would be called in. "Cell phones at the ready ladies," Best reminded.

At nine o'clock they got their wake up call.

* * *

><p>For Sammy, Friday morning brought another rude awakening. But this time it was the boss screaming that had him jumping. He just had time to throw on a shirt and pull on his pants before he was practically dragged from the apartment.<p>

As soon as they got to the warehouse and everyone had gathered, the boss announced that the buy was taking place on Sunday night. Now that the plans were firmly in place and what he thought was fool proof, he was ready to go ahead.

That left Sammy only two days to reach Boyd; except he really didn't have any time at all. Boyd would need time to mobilize the tactical units and prep the backup. Sammy had to reach him today; there was no other option. He only hoped the boss would leave them all to their own devices so he could work on Ray or maybe even Vic, who genuinely seemed to like him.

The guys were instructed to lay low for the next couple of days, but RJ, _bless his heart, _was bold enough to ask if that meant they could go out tonight.

Without giving anything away, Sammy put in his two cents saying that if they were trying not to tip their hand it would be more suspicious if they didn't show up at their regular haunt tonight. They always hung out there on Fridays and Saturdays. If anyone was watching, they might figure out that something was up.

The boss seemed to consider this and he reluctantly agreed that they could go out…relax tonight, but when they went out on Saturday there would be little or no drinking. Everyone had to be in top shape for Sunday.

And then the boss let go of the leash.

_Thank God! _Sammy thought as the boss told him he could hang out with the guys today and tonight. He wasn't totally free; the guys were told in no uncertain terms that Sammy was not to be left to his own devices, but at least it was something.

Unfortunately, the guys were so pumped to finally be set free that Sam had little or no time to get anyone alone. They just wanted to relax and let loose. They played poker for the better part of the day; went out for lunch and dinner. When one of the bodyguards showed up about seven to pick Sammy up, he protested saying he was allowed to go, but he was quickly informed that the boss wasn't taking any chances. So arrangements were made for everyone to go clean up and meet back in one hour before going to the club.

Sammy was grudgingly escorted to and from the warehouse, but at least the goon left as soon as the rest of the guys showed up to head out to the bar.

* * *

><p>They had been at the club about an hour when the door swung open and everyone watched a familiar pair of legs strut through the door. And if it was even possible, they looked even hotter than last week.<p>

Andy and 'her friend' swayed right past Sammy and his buddies without giving him a second look, but they all knew she was well aware of him being there. Every one of the guys was losing his mind at how smokin' she looked. But Sammy, he was pissed…but not for the reason the guys would think. "Sammy, boy. I think you've just been given the cold shoulder...and a beautiful shoulder it is."

He could handle being ignored; he would just rather she did it from a distance. He really wasn't happy that she was here, but at least she had backup with Peck. In the back of his mind, he knew when he didn't call Boyd that they would have to try something, but he had really hoped it wouldn't come to this. At least the boss wasn't around, and Sammy hoped it never got back to him.

He was broken out of his thoughts by Ray. "And the albino sidekick…holy hell!"

Sammy watched as she and Gail took a table on the other side of the dance floor before Andy returned to the bar having to pass right by Sammy's table. His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Hey, Sweetheart. Did you miss me?"

"Get your hands off of me!"

"Come on, babe. You know how much you like my hands all over you."

"You had your shot. Try not calling someone else for a week, asshole."

"Why are you here then?"

"Not for you."

"I think we both know that's not true."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Don't deny it."

"Hey I'm just here looking for someone who doesn't drop off the face of the earth after professing how great it was."

"I was working." He defended, shrugging her off.

"Couldn't even return a text, huh?" She practically snorted her disbelief. "No one's that busy. Get lost."

Sam started running his hands up and down her arm, but before he had a chance to plead his case further, Andy turned around with every intention of slapping him. "Let go of me you bastard; you think you can just take what you want and…"

Sammy had gotten his hand up to block her just in time. He had a firm grip on her wrist as he looked her straight in the eye. "Careful, honey. We both know you wanted it too."

"Go to hell." She ordered before wrenching her arm from his grip and making the rest of the way to the bar.

"Whenever you're ready." Sammy announced. "I'll be right here all night."

"Don't hold your breath." She practically spit back.

Andy got drinks for her and Gail, downing an extra shot at the bar as she listened to Sammy's guys telling him he might as well give it up.

"Nah, I like 'em feisty." He bragged before turning around and throwing her a wink. "And believe me when I say, this one's got some teeth." He winced internally hoping Andy wouldn't take offence to the bravado.

She didn't linger to hear what his buddies had to say in return; she could only imagine how that conversation was about to go so she quickly went back to her table.

It wasn't long before she and Gail got on the dance floor and started putting on a show, letting Sammy know exactly what he was missing. A couple of guys approached and at first Sammy expected her to shoot them down just like she did the last time she was here. But he was wrong. And as much as he knew she was playing a part, it was still hard to watch. He knew exactly what those guys had on their minds; it was the same thing that was on his mind and as one quick look around confirmed, on the mind of most every guy in the bar. Still he thought she was taking her job of trying to teach 'Sammy' a lesson a little too seriously. This message was way too loud and way too clear.

"Looks like you've got some competition, Sammy." Ray taunted, enjoying watching his buddy squirm.

"We'll see."

Sammy's eyes were shooting daggers at the guy who was dancing with Andy and it didn't take him long to pick up on the displeasure being sent his way. Knowing the company Sammy kept, the man bowed out quickly pulling his reluctant friend away from Gail.

Not long after, Andy excused herself to go to the washroom leaving Gail at the table. Gail pulled out her cell phone pretending to text. Well, not pretending she was actually sending an update to Boyd whose team was just outside. _'She's making her move.'_

Sammy watched as she headed back to the bathroom. He stood up and downed his beer.

"Are you sure Sammy?" Jimmy asked.

"You're playing with fire." Ray warned.

"That's 'cause I like it hot." Sammy bragged.

After a few steps, he turned back around. "If I'm not back in 5 minutes…" he said, shooting them a grin. "DO NOT come looking for me."

He quickly tuned out their crude remarks and suggestive laughter as he high-tailed it after Andy.

She was standing at the mirror when she heard the door open. She looked up to see Sammy and tried not to smile as there were another couple of girls in there. Most of the regulars knew Sammy's group and they made quick work of getting out of there.

"What the hell do you want?" They heard Andy say as they left, wondering if she really had any idea who she was talking to. They knew she was just looking for trouble.

Sam pulled Andy into the last bathroom stall. "Let go of me!" She yelled.

"Come on honey. I'm sorry…I wanted to call you. I didn't have a choice."

He pressed her back against the wall and she couldn't help what she felt; her heart started to race at his proximity and it had nothing to do with fear. She loved having him close, but it was hard to concentrate. Still, they had to keep up appearances.

He lowered his voice. "What the hell are you doing here?" He demanded. Even though he knew this was probably their only hope, he didn't have to like it.

"You haven't called in."

He ran his hands through his hair and took a deep calming breath. He had to remember that it wasn't her fault and with Peck here he knew she had been ordered to come.

"Are you okay?" She asked, breaking the silence that had taken over.

"I'm fine…you?"

"Good. Why haven't you called?"

"Boss took my phone…said he didn't trust me."

"Have you been made?" She asked, the panic clear in her tone.

"No…long story, but no."

She thrust a phone into his hands. "Take this. Boyd's waiting."

And he called the number he had memorized what seemed like ages ago.

"Yeah?"

"Boyd?"

"We don't have much time Sam; what have you got?"

"Deal's going down at 2am on Sunday night, well Monday morning then I guess. We're meeting at…"

"We know where."

He was shocked. "How?"

"McNally."

Sam looked at her with something akin to pride. _How had she known?_

Boyd knew Sam was processing so he thought he'd save him some time. "She and Shaw responded to the fight but she stayed hidden when she saw that Ray guy. They called in to make sure I knew and we've been tailing you guys ever since."

_Should have trusted my gut. _"I thought I saw something the other day, but I didn't know how it could be…then I thought maybe it was Vicero." Which reminded Sam. "Have you got anything on him?"

"Nothing yet. Doesn't look like they're planning anything though? It's actually been pretty much business as usual for him. But Sammy, if I can get the manpower for Sunday, we're thinking of leaking the deal."

"What?"

"Two birds with one stone…three if we can get the runner too. But only if we get the manpower ; I'll have to let you know."

"How the hell are you going to tell me? You are not sending her in again!" Sam's voice started to get loud and Andy started rubbing his arm in an attempt to settle him down. They heard the door open and they both froze before Andy started to moan. "Oh Sammy….oh yeah…right…ooooh"

They heard the door slam shut quickly and they both grinned. It also served to break Sam's tension, but then he almost forgot about Boyd on the phone.

"Sam! Swarek! Focus here!"

"Right sorry." He said winking at Andy, who started undoing a couple of buttons on his shirt. His eyes got really wide and he gulped audibly before giving her a questioning look.

"Just making it look good." She whispered.

"Sam!"

_Right, Boyd. _"Yeah yeah I'm here."

"McNally has a phone for you. It's got a camera, a recorder and a walkie. We'll always be close by and able to hear anything you want us to, but be careful with it."

Sam was relieved that Andy would not have to come back in. "Will do!"

"She'll give you the phone before you leave the bathroom. So we know where and when but you got any plans; I mean I have an idea but …"

"I'll send a picture if I can." Sam promised, and then gave the cliff notes version of what was going down including the firepower everyone had asked for; it would have to be enough if he couldn't get the plans to Boyd on time.

"I better go."

"Good luck Sam."

Sam pulled away from Andy and started to open the door to the stall.

"Wait."

"Oh, yeah…the phone."

Andy giggled. "That too."

She then lowered her voice seductively. "I know you probably told them all you were just coming in here for a quickie but I'd hate for you to go out…prematurely."

Sam's mouth dropped open in shock. _Did she really go there?_

"We wouldn't want to ruin your reputation."

Sam couldn't stop the dimpled grin from taking over his face. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, we should at least make it look real." She suggested before attacking his lips hungrily and running her hands through his hair.

Sam tried to pull back. "Andy…we can't…I don't think…" He really wished this wasn't just for show.

"Come on, Sammy." She practically purred.

_God he loved it when she said his name like that._

"If we're going to do this we might as well enjoy it." She teased trying to get him to loosen up; even if it was for show, she was going to make it fun. "Now stop being so gentle; you're supposed to be rocking my world here."

And with that, he pushed her up against the wall and captured her lips with his maneuvering their bodies so he could to get as close to her as possible. _ God this felt so good._

They had no idea how long they had been at it. But when breathing finally became an issue, they eased themselves apart gasping for air.

Sam winked just before running his hands once more through her now unkempt hair. She caught the mischievous glint in his eye just before he pulled on the waistband of her skirt and twisted it off to the side.

He chuckled. "I think we've had enough fun."

"For now." Andy said with definite promise for the future.

Sam liked the sound of that. "For now." He agreed quietly.

She stole one more kiss before reaching behind him to open up the stall. "See you Sunday."

"I probably won't be let go until I've given…" He stopped short when he realized what she might mean. "Andy you can't be there."

She felt her shoulders tense up as she spoke to the ground. "It's my job, Sam. Almost all of fifteen will probably be there for backup."

"I know and if I was there beside you I'd be fine with it; I don't ever want to be the one holding you back…But we'll be on opposite sides and I just can't do it…please. What if someone recognizes you? I have to be focused and I can't be that with you there." His eyes were looking everywhere but at her; just the thought of it and he was already losing it.

Andy was disappointed but she also didn't want to put him in any further danger.

Sam put his hands on either side of her face and pulled her eyes up to his. "Andy, promise me. You can stay in the can or…I don't know, anywhere. But please promise me that you won't be right in the middle of this."

"Sam."

"Promise." He practically begged.

"Okay."

"Okay. Now it's only a few more days and when I get back, we finish what we started."

"Promise?" She taunted.

"Promise." He grinned and gave her one last kiss before taking a good long look at her. Her lips were swollen, her hair was a mess and her clothes were all askew. She definitely looked like her world had been rocked. Looks can be deceiving though, and he definitely had plans to fulfill that wish later.

He laughed. "What?" She asked.

"I think my reputation will be just fine."

She turned him to the mirror and his eyes widened. "Mine too." She bragged with a cheeky grin before she pushed him out of the stall. "Now let me pull myself together."

"Good luck!" He teased as she made her way to the mirror.

"You too." She whispered sincerely as she met his eyes in their reflection.

He gave her a quick wink of promise and headed out the door.

As Sammy emerged from the hallway, he plastered a cocky grin on his face. It wasn't hard pretending; he was pretty proud of what they'd accomplished in there.

One look at him and they boys knew he had succeeded in getting what he wanted. _Impressive! _They tried to get details from him but he wasn't having any of it. Unfortunately, they weren't afraid to voice their theories so Sammy busied himself with his beer trying to tune out their vulgar suppositions.

When Andy finally walked out and past Sammy's table, she looked like she had been taken to task and the boys started up again. Ray even patted Sammy on the back when Andy shot him a sly wink on the way by. Vic noted that they both looked happy. Unfortunately in this line of work, happy didn't last long and he knew they were in for a rude awakening.

Andy headed back to her table and Gail just laughed when she saw her. "Please tell me you didn't really…"

Andy grinned back. "No, but we must have been convincing if you have to ask."

Gail just nodded; she could only imagine what they did to get her in that state and she wasn't sure she wanted to go there. "You ready to head out?"

"Yep. I think I've had enough for one night."

Gail laughed again as they stood and made their way to the door. Vic watched Sammy watch them. "You wanna go get her Sammy?"

"What? Nah. She got what she came here for."

"Um…still I think maybe we should…"

"Should what?" Sam's felt his gut churning as he shifted his gaze to Vic.

_Flashback_

_Vic's phone rang not long after Sammy had left for the bathroom; it was the boss checking up on things and his first question was whether or not Sammy was behaving._

"_He's in the bathroom hoping he'll get lucky with…"_

"_Same girl?" The boss interrupted. "She there?"_

"_Yep; definitely her."_

"_Don't let her leave." He ordered._

"_What? Why?" Vic really didn't want this girl in the middle of things and surely Sammy had proven his loyalties. "You don't think…"_

"_You sure you wanna go there?"_

"_What? Uh..no. You sending the guys to bring her and Sammy home?"_

"_Yep, Sammy should be happy; now he'll have some company for the next couple days."_

_Vic knew Sammy would be far from happy. He looked up to see the man in question come out of the bathroom with a smirk on his face. Vic knew it wasn't going to be there long. He hoped this girl didn't mean too much to Sammy because she may be his undoing._

_End Flashback_

Sammy saw Vic's eyes get wide as he glanced past Sammy towards the door. Following his gaze, Sammy shifted around and saw the boss' two goons walk in. His gut had been right.

The men looked at Vic who nodded at the two women about to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?' One of the monster-sized men asked.

"Time to head home boys." Gail insisted as she tried to push past them. "So if you don't mind…"

Apparently they did mind, because they didn't move a muscle.

Sam turned back to Vic. "What the hell did you do?"


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry for the delay – thanks for sticking with me. This chapter is shorter than the last, but it was a good place to break…plus it gets another chapter to you quicker. Next one should get us to the big night. Enjoy!

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><p>Sammy saw Vic's eyes get wide as he glanced past him towards the door. Following his gaze, Sammy shifted around and saw the boss' two goons walk in. His gut had been right.<p>

The men looked at Vic who nodded at the two women about to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?' One of the monster-sized men asked.

"Time to head home boys." Gail insisted as she tried to push past them. "So if you don't mind…"

Apparently they did mind, because they didn't move a muscle.

Sammy turned back to Vic. "What the hell did you do?"

Vic stumbled over his answer. "Um, well…the boss called…and um, asked where you were…you were, uh, occupied with your…uh friend there…and…"

"He said to keep her here." Sammy finished, putting them both out of their misery.

Vic just nodded. If he had had any other choice, he would have let her go. But like the boss reminded, he definitely didn't want to go there.

Sammy's mind went into overdrive trying to figure out how he could play this. _Does he just go with the flow and pretend it doesn't bother him? But then Andy would be right in the middle of everything, which is the last place he wanted her. If he could just be sure that she would be able to stay with him…but he knew that was pretty much out of the question. And what about Peck? Could he at least get her out of there? Boss didn't really need her. But he wanted them both out of there and as far away as possible. But how could he do that without digging himself in deep? _He was coming up blank and knew the boss wasn't about to take no for an answer, at least when it came to Andy. He decided that the best he could hope for was to get Peck out of there.

Sammy turned his attention back to watching the scene at the door, waiting for any opportunity to make a move.

Gail looked up at the two goons and repeated herself. "Do you mind?"

One of them finally answered. "Not if you let us give you a ride home."

Gail was pretty sure that home was not part of their agenda at least not for Andy anyway. "Some other time." She tried again.

One of the goons looked over top of the girls' heads and rested his eyes on Sammy. Back at the warehouse, he had tuned out any part of the conversation involving the man's love life. "Which one is yours Sammy?" He asked, motioning between the two women.

Ray laughed crudely; he knew damn well which one was Sammy's but he couldn't resist a little taunting. "Maybe you should take a closer look; I'm sure my buddy Sammy here left a little something behind for her to remember him by."

Sammy let his guard drop for a moment as he glared at Ray.

"What?" Ray wondered defensively; Sammy usually laughed at his jokes. _Didn't he?_

"Shut up." Vic instructed on Sammy's behalf.

"Why don't you come and have another drink with us?" Sammy suggested to the girls hoping the two Neanderthals weren't ordered to bring Andy back right away. If he could buy a little time, maybe they could come up with some way to get both of the ladies out of there.

The two goons exchanged a look trying to come to a consensus on what the actual order was. "Boss sent us to pick you and your girl up, said to bring you back to the apartment."

"One drink." Sammy bartered. "Then the **two** of us will come with you." He stressed the word two making it perfectly clear to everyone that he would not be bringing the blonde with him. When no one protested, he was hopeful that half the dilemma was solved.

"Am I really **your** girl Sammy?" Andy purred as she sidled up beside him. "You even told your boss about me?"

Sammy tried to hold in the grin as he pulled out a chair for her. _She was getting better at this._

Following closely behind, Gail reached in her pocket for her phone; it was obvious that Andy wasn't getting out of here without a fight and she wasn't about to leave her behind. As she pulled the cell from her pocket, one of the henchmen moved to grab it. "Back off Thor!" She ordered. "If I don't text my boyfriend and tell him we're staying for another, he's going to want to check up on me so…"

The goon gave a curt nod to give her the go ahead. _Thank God!_

She sent a text to Boyd as quickly as she could before someone felt the need to see what she was doing. '_Can't get away yet. An offer we can't refuse. STUCK here for a bit longer with Andy's man, 4 friends, 2 guards.'_

She looked over at Andy then. "Don't you think you should text your brother too? If he finds out we're here…with him..." she tilted her head in Sam's direction. "...you know they'll be hell to pay."

Andy gave her an imperceptible nod, seeing the comment for what it was – she was telling Andy that she had just texted the cavalry and to be prepared.

"Your brother?" Sammy asked, actually confused.

"Yeah…Don." She emphasized. "He called you the other day…"

"He did?"

Andy's face went from zero to pissed in less than a second; she really had gotten better at the façade. "Oh? And how many other guys called you this week to yell at you about leading their sister on?"

_Got it! _Sammy caught on completely; it was obviously Boyd who called when the boss answered the other day and he had apparently played it off as the protective older brother.

"No one else, sweetheart." He assured her, reaching for her hand and pulling her down into the chair. "Just forgot that's all." He said throwing in the dimples and leaning in for quick kiss which she happily returned.

The guys watched in awe as she seemed to be putty in Sammy's more than capable hands.

"He won't show." She answered confidently to Gail as the blonde moved in to stand beside her. "I told him I was out with you and your man and I promised him I wouldn't go looking for…" She eyed Sammy up and down before finishing, "…trouble."

Sammy almost chuckled at that thought. _She didn't need to go looking for trouble; it always came to her._

And although Sammy was able to hold in his laughter, his buddies could not. They shook their heads at her naivete; she clearly had no idea who she was dealing with and what she had gotten herself into.

"I'll get you a chair." Sammy offered to Gail, but Ray was already way ahead of him.

"I got you covered, sweetheart," he leered as motioned for her to sit beside him.

Gail tried to contain her disgust and flashed him her best fake smile before moving towards the seat.

"What can I get you honey?" Ray offered, obviously lacking Sammy's smooth touch with the ladies.

"Some personal space." She retorted to the amusement of the rest of the gang.

"Just trying to be friendly." He assured though his tone implied anything but friendly thoughts.

"Of course you are." She agreed her voice thick with sarcasm.

Before Ray had a chance to try again, the waitress brought over another round. The bartender knew what the two ladies had been drinking and just added them to the order. Gail flashed a sincere smile when the waitress chose to slide her way in beside Ray forcing him to push his chair further away from Gail. She gave Gail a quick 'we girls have to stick together' wink before setting the drinks down and quickly making her way over to another table.

She had taken maybe three steps when she was startled by a loud bang. She turned towards the entrance door that had just been slammed open and saw a man who seemed to be checking out every inch of the crowded club. He had to be looking for someone, and that person was clearly NOT on his good side; he was more than a little pissed off. "Where they hell is she?" He screamed as everyone at Sammy's table took notice.

"Shit!" Andy said, slinking further down into her chair.

"Brother?" Sammy guessed, though he already knew the answer.

"Yep!"

Sammy's buddies shifted their focus between him and the guy at the door. _This wasn't going to be pretty._

RJ had been enjoying their first taste of freedom in days, and the amount of alcohol he had already consumed made it virtually impossible for him to employ the filter he seldom used anyway. "Well, I guess we know who got the looks in that family."

It was barely out of his mouth when Boyd had him up against the bar in a death grip. "You, Sammy?"

With the air cut off to his lungs, RJ wasn't able to speak so he simply pointed his finger towards the table.

Boyd stalked over to the table and grabbed Andy by the wrist to yank her away from the man who had just been pointed out . "Get out! Go wait in the car!" He commanded, as he pushed her towards the exit.

He turned his death glare on Gail. "And you…" He started towards her.

The blonde threw her hands in the air. "Hey, I'm just along for the ride." She claimed.

"Leave her alone!" Andy ordered as she stepped back in towards Sammy. "You know what? Better yet…just leave!"

Even though Sammy knew she had to play it up, he still had trouble resisting the urge to want to throttle her. He needed her out of there and he finally had the means; _why did she have to make it so difficult? Couldn't she have chosen the role of submissive sister? Just this once?_

"Are you kidding me? Can't you see what an asshole this guy is?"

"You're the one acting like the asshole!" She yelled back.

"Well if you had enough sense to…"

"You calling me stupid?" She challenged as every eye at the table alternated between the bickering siblings.

Sammy decided to step in; this wasn't going fast enough for his liking. "Listen…" Sammy started as he began to rise from his chair.

Boyd pivoted quickly on his heel, and his contempt for the man who allegedly wronged his sister was coming off of him in waves. He shoved Sammy back in his seat in an attempt to show dominance. "No one treats my sister like shit and gets away with it."

"Oh…she was **treated** all right…" Sammy taunted moving to stand again.

Boyd was forced to take a step back, when he felt Andy grip his arm to try and put some distance between him and Sammy. At the same time, Vic was pulling on Sammy to sit him back down. "What the hell are you doing?" He hissed through his teeth as he kept one eye on the bickering brother and sister.

"The guy's an ass." Sammy said loud enough for Boyd to get an earful too. He was hoping to make enough of a spectacle that one of his guys would clue in that they were supposed to be keeping a low profile.

When Vic turned to walk away, Sammy was hopeful; he really was the only other one with half a brain. "Where do you think you're going?" Sammy challenged; knowing the code was they all stick together in a fight. "You started this by calling in…"

"I told you, he called me." Vic argued, quickly lowering his voice. "You really want her to stay? 'Cause I got the impression before that you were a little pissed at me when I said we had to keep her here."

Sammy averted his gaze trying to hide the truth, but they both knew that Vic was right on the money.

"Why are you so hell bent on provoking this guy?" Vic had to wonder.

"You really want me to just let her go then?" Sammy challenged, knowing Vic had strict instructions to make sure she stayed. "I'm good with that." He conceded throwing one hand in the air as he made to address Andy and Boyd.

"Hang on!" Vic ordered as he pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm covering my ass."

Sammy tilted his head in question.

"I'm calling the boss, alright? But you better be ready if he says she's coming with us…no matter what."

Sammy was definitely not ready for that, but he had to play the hand he was dealt. "Do what you gotta do." He shrugged.

As Vic started punching the numbers, Sammy had a thought. He looked around quickly noticing how many people had their phones out. It may be an idle threat, but it was still a distinct possibility and so he put as much panic into his voice as he could. "What if someone calls the cops?"

Vic's eyes widened as he finished the number though this was one call he didn't want to make. The boss was not going to be happy, but Vic was not going to make the choice for him. He had no idea what the boss would want more, and making the wrong decision at a time like this, usually ended up being your last decision. So it was up to the boss: was it more important to keep the girl and risk having the cops called in or to just get the hell out of there. It was all going to depend on how badly the boss wanted the girl and just how much he really doubted Sammy.

As Vic was off trying to get his answers, Boyd had already turned back to let Sammy have it again. And it didn't take long before Sammy's buddies decided it was time to take a stand.

"I knew it." Boyd spit out.

"Knew what?" Sammy shouted back.

"That dogs like you traveled in packs."

"Kinda makes you wish you had your own doesn't it?" Sammy challenged as his group just grinned. The odds were definitely in their favor.

They continued to smirk as Boyd lifted an arm above his head in what looked like some type of signal. It wasn't long before the room appeared to close in around Sammy and his gang; they obviously had not been paying attention to how many times the door had opened and closed over the last few minutes. And that's what Boyd had been banking on when he started the show.

The triumphant looks dropped quickly off of their faces as they realized that the odds were not as good as they originally appeared.

Before either side could make a move that would push them past the point of no return, the bartender cleared his throat and stepped out from behind the bar. He was clearly uncomfortable and not used to being put in this position; Sammy's guys were regulars and because of their reputation, they almost never got challenged. Getting involved was the last thing he wanted to do, but it was getting out of hand fast. He really didn't care what they did as long as it wasn't inside the bar. "Listen I don't want any trouble here; why don't you just take it outside?"

Vic chose that moment to return and quickly took charge of the situation. "That won't be necessary. We all have to get going anyway."

He looked pointedly at Boyd and then at Andy. "You should go."

It was music to Boyd's ears and he didn't have to be told twice. He gave another sign to clear out, but Andy lingered behind. Vic approached her as she looked wistfully at Sammy; she was clearly torn though he was unaware how deep her struggle went. She really hated leaving her…partner behind.

"Don't come back." Vic ordered, shaking his head.

"But….Sammy."

She really seemed to genuinely like him and in any other circumstance Vic could be happy for his friend, but not this time. "Please." He stated sincerely looking her deep in the eyes before turning away.

Sammy watched in relief as Boyd, his entire crew, Gail and finally Andy walked out the door. He felt Vic sit down beside him but his thoughts were still on the woman who had just left; he hadn't missed her last look back and he knew for a fact that she would have stayed if Boyd would have let her. All Sammy could do then was thank God that he didn't.

"You like her." Vic stated without question. "I mean really like her."

Sammy gave up the pretense for a split second. "She's hotter than hell with a temper to match, and she still picked a guy like me." They both knew there was more, but it was left unspoken. _It's not just 'like'._

Vic simply nodded. "Let's go." He directed to everyone else.

For a night of lying low, there had been more than enough excitement. Vic felt bad for his friend; but guys like them don't get the happy ending and the quicker Sammy realized that the better. _Feelings only got in the way and Sammy's could have cost that girl more than either of them was willing to pay. _He watched as Sammy was escorted to another vehicle by the boss' henchmen and offered him a quick wave as they drove off.

When Sammy and his escorts reached the apartment, the door was opened and Sammy was ushered inside. He steeled his nerves as he walked in; if the boss was there, he was going to be in for a rough night.

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><p>A.N.: I hope you're not too disappointed that Andy got away. I know a lot of you felt like Andy was going to be taken with Sam, but I always had it planned that Boyd would get her out. I think Sam has enough to worry about.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

When Sammy and his escorts reached the apartment, the door was opened and Sammy was ushered inside. He steeled his nerves as he walked in; if the boss was there, he was going to be in for a rough night.

Sammy reached over and flipped on the light just inside the door; the fact that the room was dark was a good sign. Finding the apartment empty, he breathed out a sigh of relief; it had been a long night and he was exhausted, more mentally than physically but exhausted none the less. He hadn't been in the mood for another confrontation and though he didn't know if this meant good news or bad news for him, he was glad that it wasn't happening tonight. He hoped it didn't happen at all but that was probably too much to ask for.

Sammy walked straight through the living room and into the kitchen to grab a beer. He pulled the bottle out of the fridge, flipped the cap into the sink and took a long drink before heading straight to his room. He didn't have any patience left for his babysitters and he had something he needed to do…privately.

He walked into his room and set the beer on the nightstand before turning back to the door. He closed it firmly before Jerry-rigging it so that it would be more difficult to open. He didn't want to be disturbed and if someone should decide to come in, he was going to need some lead time.

After finishing with his handiwork, Sam flopped onto the bed and reached down to his foot, pulling the cell phone Andy had given him out of his sock. With a quick glance to the door, he punched in the number for Boyd and started a text message. _'You there?'_

'_Just got back to the barn.'_

'_Everything good?'_

Boyd was pretty sure he knew what Sam was getting at. _'Blondie & Bambi safe at home.'_ He decided that Sam didn't need to know that McNally was a little worse for wear; he had enough on his mind. _'What about you? Any backlash?'_

After rolling his eyes at Boyd's references, Sam quickly typed back. _'None yet. Let you know tomorrow.'_

'_Plans?'_

'_I'll see what I can do.'_

'_All I can ask. Only 2 more days.'_

'_Thank God!'_

'_Great Work, Sammy!'_

Sam was glad that Boyd was happy with his work, but right now it didn't feel great. He just wanted it all over and done with. And he was just tired. _'Gotta go.'_

Sam held the phone open for a few moments to make sure nothing else came through. When nothing did, he sent one more just to be safe. _'Erasing now.'_

He rid the phone of all traces of the texts just to be safe and then tucked it into his shoe and slid it under his bed. After a quick stop in the bathroom, he flipped off the lights and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Sammy woke up at eleven, dragging his tired body into the bathroom for a quick shower. When he emerged twenty minutes later, he strolled through the living room on his way to the kitchen to find something to eat. Only one of the henchmen seemed to be present and Sammy grunted a greeting at him on his way to find food.

He had just sat down with some toast, when the other goon stormed in. "Let's go. Boss wants Sammy at the warehouse in ten."

The fact that they were meeting at the warehouse gave Sammy hope that he wasn't the only one being summoned. Surely to goodness if he wanted to yell at just him he would do it at the apartment or at his office. It was a much better scenario if the boss was mad at them all. Sammy just sighed and followed along. _Might as well get this over with._

When Sammy arrived with his entourage, the Boss was already there and apparently, waiting for him; the ambush began almost immediately. "I hear you had a little rendezvous with your girlfriend last night."

"Yeah, it was a…pleasant surprise." Sammy smirked, hearing a few chuckles from around the room.

The boss just nodded his head continuing to size Sammy up. "Going to see her again tonight?"

"Not sure...we didn't really do a lot of talking." Sammy bragged.

The big man just looked at him, obviously waiting for him to drop the smart ass act and answer the question.

"I don't think so." Sammy offered after a few seconds.

"Why not?"

"I'm guessing her brother's going to have a pretty tight leash on her for awhile so…" He let the thought trail off as he caught a few nods out of the corner of his eye. It looked like Boyd's act had passed the test.

"So I heard…maybe **you** should call her."

Sammy knew Boyd had called his cell at least once and apparently talked to the boss, but he had no idea if they'd had any further contact. From the sounds of it though, the boss might have tried to reach Andy himself. "I'm good." Sammy assured him. There was absolutely no way Sammy was going to encourage her to show up again; in fact he really needed to get a hold of Boyd as soon as possible to make sure he didn't give him any reason to send her back again.

The boss continued to stare at Sammy, but when he didn't back down or give in, he turned his attention to the group and began his tirade. They all sat chock still not daring to speak as the man berated each and every one of them for making a scene and drawing unwanted attention to themselves.

Sammy soon felt a pair of eyes boring into the side of his face and as he shifted his focus to the left, he caught the full brunt of Ray's death stare. Clearly he thought it was all Sammy's fault, and it looked like he was about to throw him under the bus. Sammy raised his eyebrows almost in a dare; he knew that Ray would just be shooting himself in the foot if he even opened his mouth. Now was not the time; if he knew what was good for him, he would sit down, shut up and take it like a man.

Their silent battle of wills came to an abrupt halt when the boss' voice went up a few more decibels. "Hey!" He yelled, and tuning out was no longer an option. "What would you have done if the cops came huh? Do you have any idea what this deal is worth?"

He continued on with his diatribe concluding that the only person using their head that night was Vic because he at least had the presence of mind to call the boss. When Ray snickered at the comment and looked like he begged to differ on the point, the boss silenced him with a glare. Sammy just rolled his eyes; _Ray had no idea when to shut it off._

"I expect much better tonight." He concluded and moved towards the door, signaling to his goons that it was time to go.

There were more than a few open jaws at that point and it was pretty obvious that they all thought they would be confined to quarters till the deal was done. "Seriously?" RJ wondered.

"Yep, have at her. Just keep it in check this time." He could see how happy most of them were at this welcome turn of events, but it really wasn't for their benefit.

He was actually hoping that Sammy's girl would show up once again and he could finally get his leverage. He still had his doubts and having a little insurance never hurt. "And Sammy, if your girl shows up tonight, get her out of there before all hell breaks loose this time." He didn't really think any of them, Sammy especially, would be stupid enough to make the same mistake twice, but just in case he wanted to make things quite clear.

As expected Sammy grinned cockily, before he pulled the rug out from under him. "And then give me a call…I'd love to meet her."

Sammy fought to keep the grin on his face and the fire out of his eyes. _When hell freezes over…_

The boss didn't wait for a response; he already got what he wanted…satisfaction. Still, there was something else he needed. "Ray." He summoned.

Ray cast a wary glance to all the guys and was met with only shrugs. He wasn't the only one who had no idea what the boss wanted. He only hoped he hadn't done something stupid…again.

Sammy pretended to be listening to the rest of the guys but he was completely focused on the conversation playing out between Ray and the boss. It wasn't hard to figure out what they were discussing. Ray kept shooting wary glances at Sammy and he had to wonder if the boss was asking about Andy, and where Ray might have caught a glimpse of her. He only hoped that wherever Ray had seen her, it wasn't at one of her regular stops. If it was, he had a feeling he'd be seeing Andy sooner than he had hoped, and that would only make things that much more complicated. If Andy was involved, all bets were off.

When he got what he needed from Ray, the boss headed out the door flanked by his henchmen, and Ray came back to join the group. "Everything okay?" Sammy asked as nonchalantly as possible.

"Huh? Yeah. It's all good." He answered while shifting his gaze anywhere but at Sammy.

Ray had been asked where he had seen 'Sammy's girl' and was ordered to sit on the place for the next few hours; he would also be going back tomorrow. Now he just had to blow Sammy off and get the hell out of there.

Sammy watched Ray shift uncomfortably from foot to foot; he was like an open book. It was obvious he had been instructed not to tell, but his actions spoke volumes. Sammy looked over at Vic who was looking intently back at him; it looked like he had figured it out as well.

"Well…yeah…gotta run…favor for the boss you know." Ray stuttered as he shuffled awkwardly towards the door, not waiting for a response from anyone.

Vic watched as Sammy let out a deep breath of resignation and followed behind him as moved to stand in front of the plans that were still up on the wall. "Everything okay?" He asked, gesturing towards the plans, but meaning much more.

"It's all good." Sammy answered.

"Good." Vic accepted, though not quite convinced. "RJ is going to grab pizza and we're going to play a little poker so…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there in a few." Sammy promised. "Just wanna take another look here."

"You worried?" Again, he meant more than he could say.

Sammy pulled his bravado back out, but the words sounded completely hollow to him. "Piece of cake."

Vic turned at the sound of laughter behind him before glancing back at his buddy.

"I'm good." Sammy assured.

Vic nodded and pivoted back to the group, leaving Sam to think about how he could possibly get a picture of the plans without anyone noticing. _Could he bring them home with him? Maybe under the premise that he had forgotten something? Maybe he could say he was worried about leaving them there or say he just wanted to study them. But he needed to get them to Boyd as soon as possible; tonight wouldn't be soon enough._

He looked around the warehouse and spotted a small office over in the corner. He looked at the guys and they were wrestling around and getting rowdy. He took his chance before he thought better of it and muttered loudly. "…Noisy…can't even think…echo in here is giving me a headache."

When Sammy turned his back and started pulling down the plans, it caught Vic's attention. "What are you doing Sammy?" He couldn't help the doubt that had crept into his voice.

Sammy picked up on it right away and was quick to reassure him. "I just need to go over everything in my head again; after last night, I can't afford for anything else to go wrong."

"You need some help?"

"I'm good. But it's too loud in here. I think I'm going to go sit in the office and look at it one more time. I need to play it all out in my head and I can't concentrate with all the noise out here. Tomorrow, we'll all have a go over it one more time and I want to be ready." Sammy contemplated for a second before continuing. "Which reminds me, have we heard anything about Vicero?"

"Not a peep. Looks like he's keeping his nose out."

Sammy nodded unfazed. "We'll be ready either way."

Vic returned the nod and gestured him to the office.

"Let me know when RJ gets back." Sammy instructed as he rolled the plans up to make it easier to carry them. "I need some drinking money tonight and I'd rather spend yours." He taunted.

Vic chuckled. "You wish, Sammy."

Sammy joined in with his laughter and swatted at him with the plans before heading to the office at the back; it was fairly secluded and far enough away that he should have plenty of time. RJ was just leaving as Sammy closed the door.

With a quick glance up, he saw that no one was watching him, and he again rigged up the door so he would hear if anyone tried to get in while he was preoccupied. He quickly laid out the plans on the table and leaned over pretending to study them. After another glance over his shoulder, he bent down and quickly pulled the phone out of his sock. He wasted no time switching it to camera mode and lined up the shot.

After taking a number of pictures, he turned around again and stared at the ceiling, trying to appear deep in thought while he was really checking out where everyone was. It looked like they were all still on the other side of the building so he decided to take another chance. He sat down resting his elbows on the desk and hunched over as if studying the blueprint, but the phone was sandwiched between both hands and he was sending photos as fast as he could.

He then followed the pictures up with a text._ 'Deal at 3am. Will text tomorrow with arrival times. We good?'_

He had never been so happy to receive a fast reply. '_Better than good. Great work Sammy.'_

'_Gotta go.'_

'_Hang on. I'm still looking.'_

'_Later…erasing.'_

Sammy cleared the memory and placed the phone back in its hiding spot before studying the plans once more. He had pushed his luck enough for now and he didn't want to drag it out any longer than necessary. If Boyd needed something else, Sammy would find out later; he wanted to talk to him anyway, actually speak to him. He needed a few things from the man that it would be too hard to convey via shortened texts.

Sammy had been on enough takedowns to know the drill and he was pretty certain he knew what Boyd's strategy would be but he needed to hear it from the horses' mouth. He'd feel much better once he knew everything from both sides. As he focused back on the plans, he mapped out his preferred safety zone and at least two alternates. After he talked to Boyd, he would know which one would work best and he could make sure he knew where Sammy would be once the shit hit the fan. Boyd would not be able to get that information from the plans and Sammy's life could depend on it.

As he contemplated his safety, he realized he had forgotten something and it couldn't wait. He reached down to his phone and fired off a quick text and was waiting for the reply when he heard a rap at the door. He jumped when the noise broke the silence just as the reply was coming through. He twisted to hide the phone while turning to see Jimmy smirking and waving a slice of pizza at him.

Jimmy twisted the knob and tried to push his way in as Sammy tucked the phone into his pocket planning to move it back to his sock at the first opportunity.

When the door jammed, he had to muscle it with his shoulder to get it open. "What the hell?" Jimmy exclaimed while eyeing up the door. "Better hurry, Sammy."

"I'm coming; just let me grab the plans."

Jimmy appeared to be waiting for Sammy, so he had to find a way to force his hand and get him to go back to the group without him. It didn't take him long. As he grabbed the plans, he pulled along an entire stack of papers and knocked them to the ground.

Sammy pretended to look pissed while mentally jumping for joy. He jerked his head towards the group and mumbled. "Be right there."

Jimmy chuckled as he saluted him with his pizza. "Don't wanna miss out."

Sammy gave him a curt nod as he gathered all the papers and waited for him to leave. As soon as he was out of range, Sammy pulled the phone back out and read the text. He let out a long breath as he cleared the memory, quickly rolling up the plans and heading back out into the open.

As soon as he was within earshot, Vic wondered. "You gonna put those back up?"

"Trying to decide." Sammy offered, leaving the question basically unanswered. He was thinking he may want to take them back to the apartment just in case he needed them again later but he worried that it might look suspicious.

* * *

><p>Back at the station, Boyd had been getting a bunch of calls on the phone Sammy was supposed to use as his contact. He jumped every time he heard it go off hoping it was Swarek with more information, but no one ever seemed to be there. After about the fifth or sixth time, he was pissed. "If this is Sammy, you can give up now. She's not here and the only person you'll be talking to is me."<p>

If it **was** Swarek, Boyd hoped that his coworker wasn't in trouble and unable to answer him. If it wasn't, at least he had covered both of their butts. After last night, it was obvious that Sammy's gang had an interest in McNally; he just wasn't sure why. By answering the way he did, he was able to protect them all.

The calls stopped for quite awhile and the next time the phone made any noise it was to alert him that a text message had come through. He figured it had to be the real Sammy this time, and thankfully he was right.

After receiving the photos Sammy took of the plans and exchanging numerous messages, Boyd had what he needed to call in his team for the final briefing. Before he had a chance to confirm that the plans were clear, Sammy signed off with a promise to contact him later.

Boyd was in the middle of printing everything off to prepare for the meeting with his unit, when he was surprised by the phone going off again. He rifled through the photos as he picked it up; if he was missing anything or couldn't make something out, he wanted to ask Swarek for it now in case they didn't get a chance to talk later.

'_Do NOT send McNally in again!'_

'_Wait…why they want McNally anyway?'_

'_Just don't!'_

Boyd was a little offended that Sammy would think he was stupid enough to do that when it was clear she would have trouble getting back out, but now was not the time to get into a pissing contest. _'No worries; we got what we need.'_

And with that Sammy was gone again.

Boyd wasted no time getting his team together to put the final details in place; if they got at it right away, they should get home at a decent time and be able to get some rest before tomorrow. They were going to need it because as soon as Sunday hit, they would need to prep the backup and be ready to go all night. If all went according to plan, Sammy's gang would be behind bars and he'd be taking Sammy's statement in less than 48 hours.

* * *

><p>Sammy crawled into bed just before one in the morning, he planned to sleep as late as he could knowing tomorrow was going to be a long one. Thankfully, it had been an uneventful night; he chuckled to himself. <em>Well, if you didn't count Ray getting slapped in the face by two women at the same time. That guy did not know when to shut up.<em>

* * *

><p>A.N. I hope you enjoyed this latest installment; please let me know what you think. Takedown should come next.<p>

To mamaverd: it was really hard writing 'horses' mouth when Sammy was referring to Boyd; I think we both know what I would have preferred to write :)


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for the delay; I'm usually much better at keeping my stories updated. It seems this story comes out when it wants to though.

Last chapter there was no Andy and it seems like she was just lying in wait. I thought we would be done the bust at the end of this one, but like I said…it has a mind of its own. Bust will have to wait one more chapter.

* * *

><p>Andy crawled into bed just before midnight on Saturday; thankful she would be switching to the night shift tomorrow for two reasons. One: she couldn't remember the last time she had a full night's sleep and two: she would be part of the takedown of Sam's gang. She sighed though as she remembered what she had promised Sam. Yes she might be part of the takedown, but it was more like a spectator sport and it wasn't going to be easy to sit idly by if Sam appeared to be in danger.<p>

She may have been exhausted, but she still couldn't turn her mind off and it wasn't just from today's events. No, she was still hung up on everything that happened on Friday and on wondering how and where Sam was right this minute.

She'd hardly slept at all on Friday. Boyd had dropped her off about one o'clock in the morning and she should have been worn out; she knew she looked it. She could feel both Boyd and Gail eying her up the entire ride home. She knew she wasn't doing a good job hiding her feelings but at that point she was too tired to care. So she just let her mind wander and worry and before she knew it they were pulled up outside her apartment and she had no idea how they got there.

Gail actually had to physically shake her to bring her out of her own mind. And she was taken aback when Boyd commended them on a job well done; of course it lost a little sincerity when he choked trying to get her name out.

She just shook her head…_typical Boyd..._and jumped out of the SUV assuring them she would be fine.

She had been so tired more mentally than physically but still she thought she would fall asleep the minute her head hit the pillow; unfortunately after an hour or so her eyes were still wide open. She decided to have a hot shower to relax, and it worked…at least a little. She could feel her muscles loosening up after about fifteen minutes so she got out dried off and put her hair in a quick braid before settling back under the covers.

She snuggled down and pulled them up under her chin but as soon as her eyes closed she could see Sam's face and the nights events started on a loop through her head. When her alarm had finally rang this morning it felt like her head had just hit the pillow. One glance in the mirror told her that whatever sleep she had managed to steal wasn't nearly enough.

At least she had made it to parade on time, but when there was no further word on Sam or the takedown she knew she was in for a long day.

And she was right; it was a long and arduous day. The only thing she was thankful for was that she wasn't on desk. She didn't think she could have made it through a day with nothing to do but answer phone calls and complete paperwork; she would have more than likely bit someone's head off. At least on patrol, there was a chance for something to keep her mind of the chain of events that she couldn't shake loose from her mind.

She was glad she was on patrol with Chris. He knew all about her and Gail and their little adventure the night before so she didn't have to give him the play-by-play like she would have if Dov was her partner. Though by now she had relived it so many times she was sure she could recite it by heart without even a second thought.

Lunch couldn't have come quick enough for Andy and when Chris suggested they stop at a little diner so they could get out of the squad, she was more than happy to comply. She knew the perfect place and was just about to give him directions when a call came in for a domestic a few blocks from their location. She flipped on the lights as Chris made a quick U-turn. _Maybe tomorrow._

The incident didn't take nearly long enough for Andy and as their day came to a close, she realized that it didn't matter where she was or what she was doing, until Sam was back safe and sound everything she did was going to be a trial. Every time the radio broke in or her phone went off, she jumped. But it was always the same thing, a routine call and nothing to do with Sam or the bust.

When they got back to the barn at the end of the day, Chris asked Andy if she was heading to the Penny. When she didn't answer, Chris followed her line of sight to the war room. Boyd was at the board with his team all around him and they were deep into strategy. They both knew what this implied; they had gotten what they needed from Sam and were finalizing the plans for Sunday night.

Andy really wanted to go in there and find out what was going down. She knew she shouldn't; she knew the backup team would be getting their information tomorrow night but her feet didn't get the message. She didn't even realize that she was approaching the room until she felt Chris tugging on her arm. The movement must have caught Boyd's eye through the glass because her gaze met his before she had a chance to turn to Chris.

The look on Boyd's face was a cross between understanding and frustration. He was busy; she knew that and the last thing she wanted to do was stop him from doing whatever it would take to get Sam out of there alive. But they both knew that she needed some reassurance. That wasn't his area of expertise though and he had no idea how to handle her needs. He gave her a nod of acknowledgment but neither one of them really knew what he was trying to convey. When he turned back to his group though, the message was clear – not now.

Chris asked her again if she was coming to the Penny but she begged off with an excuse that she was too tired. They both knew it was the truth, but Chris still hoped she could come and at least try to relax instead of wallowing alone at home. He offered to come over, maybe grab the rest of the gang and some pizza. They were all on nights tomorrow so they could stay up and watch movies like they did in the academy.

Andy thanked him profusely and assured him she was fine but definitely wanted a rain check. He gave her a small smile before heading to his own locker room. At least he had tried.

And so now here it was, midnight, and Andy's eyes were drooping as she lay in bed with additional minutes added to the constant loop in her brain. Now she also saw Boyd and his team deep into strategy and obviously excited about what was to come.

Though she had no word about Sam she placated herself with the fact that Boyd seemed to have what he needed and that could have only come from one person. And the thought of him at least being safe was what finally allowed her to succumb to sleep.

* * *

><p>Sammy woke up late on Sunday feeling almost relieved. The day had finally come and in less than 24 hours he would be out of this sorry excuse for a life and back into his own, the one where he got to see Andy every day – a now single Andy. That thought had him smiling as he made his way to the shower.<p>

He took a quick glance around the apartment his eyes stalling for a second on the burly man who appeared to be asleep on the couch. Apparently he wasn't, at least not totally. "What do you want?"

"Nothing…just headed into the shower."

"Good…go!" He snapped before closing his eyes again.

Apparently the conversation was over, which was fine with Sammy. He had something he needed to accomplish and this might be his only chance. He pulled the curtain before reaching his arm in and turning on the water, straight to cold. It wasn't that he needed a cold shower that he only wished. No, he just needed some cover noise and if he still had time for a shower when he was done, he didn't want to run out of hot water.

As the noise of the spray flooded the room, Sammy pulled the cell phone out of his sock and punched in the familiar numbers. He held it up to his ear, using his free hand to plug the other ear. Hopefully they'd still be able to hear each other over the din of the water.

"Yeah?"

"It's me."

"Where are you?" Boyd wondered as the background noise was terrible.

"Taking a shower." Sam said in his best bedroom voice.

"Please tell me that's just your cover because I really don't need to…"

Sam chuckled quietly. "So you don't want to know what I'm wearing right now?"

"I can do without the visual thank you very much. Save it for McNally."

When Sam's snicker was abruptly choked off, Boyd had to laugh; that was one thing Swarek was not good at covering up. _Touche!_

"You ready?"

"As I'll ever be…you?"

"Yep, plans are all in place; we'll be briefing the backup as soon as the night shift comes on. They've pulled in some extra bodies to help patrol so we're all covered. How much time you got?"

Sam listened at the door for a second and there appeared to be no movement in the living room so he jumped back on the line. "Not long so we need to hurry."

They reviewed the plans as quickly as they could with Sam making sure that Boyd was well aware of his safety zones and possible escape routes. They had worked together enough that Sam's choices were completely in sync with what Boyd had in mind. After agreeing on his first choice, they then confirmed his contingency order should any zone be compromised.

"Any word on Vicero?" Sam inquired.

"Looks like a non-issue; they haven't made any moves. We'll still keep tabs on him tonight, but I'm pretty sure we're good."

"What about the plan to pull him in."

"No go. White shirts shot that one down pretty fast; we don't have enough on him. If he showed up, the best we could do would be maybe a couple of firearms charges depending on if they used them. If and when we do get him, they want to make sure it sticks…and for a long time."

Sam was relieved. It wasn't that he wasn't prepared in the event it happened; it was just one less thing to worry about.

When Sam didn't respond right away, Boyd started to wonder if everything was okay. "Sammy?"

"Yeah?"

"You should go…before they start to wonder…"

"Yeah." Sam agreed and was about to end the call when he remembered what else he wanted to talk to Boyd about. "Wait." He said, a little too loudly before repeating it a little quieter. "Wait."

"What?"

"Is McNally in on the takedown?"

"Do you really have to ask me that?"

Sam chuckled pretty sure that Andy wasn't the only one chomping at the bit to be involved, but she was the one he was concerned about. "Make sure she's in the can!"

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

"How the hell am I supposed to do that? I know it's been a while but you have worked with the woman. It's pretty hard to tell her anything."

Sam started to laugh a little louder but caught himself before he got carried away, covering it up quickly with a fake cough. "You're in charge; she'll understand."

"It's usually volunteers or short straw."

"I don't think she'll argue." At least he hoped she wouldn't; she did promise him.

"What does that even mean? Sam is there something I should know about." He knew Swarek had it bad for his rookie and based on her reactions when he disappeared, the feeling was at least a little mutual, but as far as he knew attraction was as far as it had gone.

"I've told you everything you need to know; I have it all under control." And as long as Andy stayed out of harm's way tonight, it would stay under control…at least that's what he kept telling himself.

"Just keep her in the can, and maybe put some eyes on her or send someone to pick her up tonight." He added quickly. "I'm pretty sure they're out looking for her."

Before Boyd had a chance to again ask why, Sam had hung up.

* * *

><p>When Sammy arrived at the warehouse just after supper to go over the plans one last time with all the guys, Ray was noticeably absent and no one seemed to know where he was. Sammy's gut wouldn't stop screaming at him and he only hoped that Boyd had listened to him when he said to make sure Andy wasn't out alone.<p>

* * *

><p>When Andy woke on Sunday the sun was high in the afternoon sky. Though she had obviously slept, it had been a restless night. Her covers were strewn all over and one pillow was on the floor. She couldn't remember what she dreamed about but at least she had slept through it.<p>

Unfortunately, it was still hours before she had to be in for the night shift and she was going to need something to take her mind off of what was to come.

As long as everything went according to plan, she would be talking to Sam again in less than 24 hours. It was going to end tonight; he was coming back to her tonight. Her heart started to race in her chest, but it was a good feeling, a welcome rush of adrenaline…until her mind made an about face and started considering all the ways that things could go wrong.

These next few hours were going to be torture if she didn't find something to do until it was time to go in. Once she was at work; she knew she would be fine. She would be doing something. They would have a briefing and then everyone would start prepping and before she knew it they would be on scene.

She wondered what everyone would think when she volunteered to go in the can. Normally they had to do Rock-Paper-Scissors or draw straws because no one wanted in the can. But she had made a promise and she knew she had to keep it.

Truth be told, she'd rather be out in the action, but she would never be able to forgive herself if she made that choice and it caused Sam any harm. She told herself that there would always be another time. She owed him that much.

She decided to busy herself with housework, and then since she and Chris didn't get there yesterday, she would walk to the diner to eat, maybe even swing by Sam's and clean things up a bit for him too before heading into work. Problem was she didn't have a key to his house. She smiled a small smile; _she did have her lock picks though. _

When there was nothing left to do at her house, Andy glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that she had successfully distracted herself. So well in fact that she would only have time to stop at the diner and head straight to work. _Unless she got her food to go…then she could at least dust things off for Sam a little._

She headed to the bathroom for a quick cleanup before grabbing her phone, keys and backpack and heading out the door.

As she was walking towards the diner, her phone went off in her hand. She clicked onto the text message.

'_Where are you?'_

'_Going to the diner for supper.'_

'_A little early isn't it?'_

'_I have been early before.'_

'_I must have been off that day.'_

'_Very funny. I was thinking I might swing by Sam's too…maybe clean it up a little for him.'_

Andy was still waiting for her friends no doubt smart ass reply when her phone suddenly rang in her hand. She didn't even get the 'hi' out before she heard Traci's cautionary voice. "An-dy!"

"I was looking for something to do and I just thought he'd appreciate coming home to a clean house."

"You've got it bad sister."

"I was just going to help a friend. I'd do the same for you."

"Yeah…you just keep telling yourself that."

Andy decided it was time to change the subject. "Did you need something?"

"I'm actually at your place. I thought we could have supper together and then head to the station. I figured maybe you might want some company to help pass the time."

"I'm just about at the diner. Why don't you meet me there?"

"The one between your house and Swarek's?"

"Yeah."

"I'm on my way."

"I'll go in and get us a table."

Andy was so busy talking to Traci that she didn't realize that she was being watched.

The door had just closed behind her when Traci responded. "No, don't go in. I told Chris, Dov and Gail we'd meet them at the Penny and eat there."

"Oh, I'll be out front then." Andy turned on her heel but before she had a chance to push the door open, she felt it move out from under her. She stumbled right into the person who was trying to enter.

"I'm sorry." She offered before lifting her head up to meet his eyes. She gave a startled. "Oh."

As Andy hadn't yet ended the call, Traci heard the exclamation and couldn't help but wonder what would have provoked it. For some reason, she felt the need to speed up.


	13. Chapter 13

Do you think it's possible for a story to procrastinate itself? First it seems to take forever to be ready to write, and then when I finally do, it just keeps going and going and I feel like I'm getting nowhere. Sorry, we're not quite at the bust yet, but I really wanted to get you an update.

* * *

><p>Andy recovered quickly and pasted on what she hoped was a convincing smile. "Hi…um…"<p>

"Ray." He reminded her.

"Right, Ray." She nodded before moving to dismiss him. "I'm just meeting a friend for an early supper so…"

She tried to move past him, but he took hold of her arm and pulled her further into the diner. "Well I was just on my way to meet Sammy when I saw you come in here. I thought you might want to go with me."

"Sorry…can't. I promised my brother and I'm meeting that friend so..."

Ray wasn't usually above making a scene, but trouble was the last thing he needed so he continued to try and get her to come willingly. "I think Sammy would be very happy to see you."

Andy just about laughed; she knew Sam would be far from happy to see her at least not under these circumstances.

"Are you sure?" Andy replied trying to be coy while buying herself some time.

Ray started to smile; _he almost had her_. "Of course. And even if he's not, I sure am." He meant because it would be getting him in good with the boss, but Andy saw her chance and took it…the wrong way.

"You better not lay a finger on me." She growled trying to pull her arm away from him. "Sammy will kick your ass if you so much as look at me the wrong way."

_Oh-oh._ He had inadvertently riled her up and what he thought was going to be easy had been made a lot more difficult by his big mouth. _Sammy was right; she was feisty._

"You know what; I think I'll just wait for him to call me." Andy decided again trying to move away from Ray and back towards the door.

"You'll be waiting a long time honey; this might be your only chance."

Andy scoffed at that. "Why the hell would I want a guy who won't call me back then?"

She had him there and she knew it. She had to keep her smile in check as she watched his mind race trying to think of a good enough reason for her. When he still had nothing after a few seconds, she huffed. "Know what; I'll pass."

He lowered his voice and pasted on a fake smile as his brain finally kicked in. "For a while…I just meant he's going to be busy for a while so he might not have time after today. He's free right now though so why not just surprise him. If he's busy or not happy, I'll just bring you right back here."

They both knew it was an empty promise, and they also both knew that he wasn't taking no for an answer so she was back to buying time. "Okay, okay…Can we at least grab something to go? I haven't eaten all day."

Since he'd rather she go willingly, Ray conceded; he still had a little time before the meet. "Fine…order. But I ain't buyin'."

"Such a gentleman." She muttered under her breath before motioning him to the nearest empty table, which thankfully was just inside the door. "Sit down so I can check out the menu."

Andy slid into the booth so she was facing the entrance and could alert Traci who she was sure would be there soon. She fully expected Ray to slide in opposite her; making her getaway a little easier. Unfortunately, he chose this one time to employ his brain and he slid into the booth beside her, effectively trapping her in.

Andy was pretending to look over the menu when the bell above the door rang. She looked up to see Traci frantically scanning the place; it was obvious that she was in a panic when Andy wasn't out front where she said she would be.

Andy met her eyes from over the menu until Traci shifted her gaze to the man sitting beside her friend. She looked back at Andy and furrowed her brow slightly; she recognized the man but she wasn't exactly sure from where.

Andy watched as she searched her memory to figure out where she knew him from; she could tell the second it became clear as Traci's eyebrows shot up to the top of her head. He had been arrested earlier in the week; he was part of Sam's gang and Andy had asked her to let them know when he was released. She had also heard about the trouble Andy and Gail had getting out of the club on Friday. Now she knew why Sam told Boyd to have her pick Andy up; too bad he didn't think to tell her she might need to bring backup._ Time to play it cool._

"Hey, girl." Traci said upon approach. "I didn't know you were bringing a friend."

Traci resisted a shudder as Ray's eyes traveled appreciatively up and down her body.

"Yeah, sorry Trace. Remember that guy I told you about…"

"Is this him?" Traci asked playing along.

Andy laughed loudly but cut it off quickly when Ray shot her a look that showed her he was clearly offended. "No, this is a buddy of his that I just ran into; he told me he would take me to Sammy though."

The inherent truth of that statement was not lost on Traci. She was going to have to use some fancy footwork to get her friend out of there. Now she just had to figure out how.

"I don't know. Your brother's going to be pretty pissed if you take off again. Maybe I should call him." She was hoping her threat would be enough to get this guy to back off.

"No need for that, sweetheart." Ray assured her, trying to remain cool. "I think your friend here is old enough to make up her own mind. So we're just going to get her food and be on our way."

Traci looked at Andy. "You ordered yet?"

"Not yet."

"Then I really think we should go; I don't want him mad at me and if he finds out I knew about this and let you go." Traci's voice was rising in volume and both women knew she wasn't talking about Andy's 'brother' anymore.

Ray decided he needed to calm things down again till he could convince them both that it was okay for Andy to come with him. The last thing he needed was a scene and they already seemed to be drawing more attention from the nearby tables. "Why don't you sit down and join us?" He offered sweetly. "Let me buy you some supper."

Andy dropped her chin and shot him an incredulous look; he hadn't offered to buy her meal in fact he had outright refused to. But the last thing she wanted was to get Traci mixed up in this mess and it wasn't likely that he would be letting Andy go and the two girls didn't have guns or backup.

"You don't have to stay." Andy assured her. "I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."

Traci wasn't falling for it; she had her friend's back. "Don't be silly. Who am I to turn down a free meal? Just let me hit the bathroom first." She explained before giving Andy a meaningful look, "then I'll be able to sit down and relax."

"Sounds good." Andy responded with a sigh of relief knowing backup would be on its way soon.

Andy picked up the menu again as Traci moved to the back of the diner. Ray immediately started in on her trying to convince her that she shouldn't let people tell her what to do.

Meanwhile, Traci jumped into the first stall she came to and quickly dialed Jerry's number; she thought about calling dispatch but this called for discretion. She needed someone who knew Andy and who knew the situation.

"Jerry here."

"I need help."

"What's wrong? Is Leo okay?" Traci grinned; she loved him for that.

"It's fine, well not exactly fine. Are you at the station?"

"Yeah, I'm not leaving till Sammy's home."

"Anyone else there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oliver?"

"Yeah, he just got here. Why?"

"Is he in his uniform yet?"

"We're in the locker room. He just got it on…what's going on Traci."

"One of Swarek's guys, the one that was arrested the other day, he's with Andy at the diner by Sam's house. You know the one?"

"Yeah, yeah…Sammy drags us there all the time."

"He's hell bent on taking Andy to see Sam, but Boyd told me to pick her up because Swarek was worried about her being alone. I don't have anything…."

"No, no…sit tight…we're on our way."

Traci waited a few more minutes in the washroom before returning to the table. She picked up her menu and again asked. "Have you ordered yet?"

"Not yet." Andy informed her.

The girls made polite small talk for a few minutes before the waitress walked up with her notepad effectively garnering their full attention. "What can I get you officer?"

All three eyes at the table snapped up at once. Andy and Traci were looking at each other trying to contain their panic. They should have known they'd be recognized; Andy at least was in here all the time. Ray was looking directly at the waitress to see who she was addressing, but luckily for Andy and Traci she was still looking at her notepad and giving nothing away.

As always, Oliver's timing was impeccable; he had just entered into the diner as the waitress posed her question. "How about a coffee and Danish to go; I'll just wait right…" He pretended to just notice Andy and Traci. "Right over here." He finished as he dropped down into the seat next to Traci. "Well, well…what do we have here?"

If possible, Ray's eyes got even wider. _Why the hell was this cop sitting down with them?_

"I should have known when we got the call about a possible disturbance that you'd be involved."

Ray was at a loss; sure he was known by the cops but he'd only been taken in once in this part of the city. _Still this cop did look a little familiar, but how would he know Ray's reputation._

Ray's confusion turned to surprise when Oliver looked directly at Andy. "So what's the excuse this time Sweetheart? Your new little boy toy won't spring for dessert?"

Ray started to smirk, but it was wiped quickly off his face with Andy's retort. "Trust you to be thinking about little boys and their…toys."

As Oliver's and Traci's jaws dropped simultaneously, a choked off cough could be heard from Jerry, who had followed Oliver in and settled inconspicuously at a nearby table. Andy tried not to spare him a glance as she continued with fake concern. "I'm sorry, was that a secret?"

Oliver recovered quickly from his shock to join Andy in her game, both realizing that this was going to go much quicker with the gloves off. "Does your friend here know just how many boy toys you pick up in a night? Oh wait…my mistake…they pick you up...from the street corner isn't it. How is that little rash of yours? Oh, I'm sorry...was that a secret?"

"You don't have to be an ass."

"Watch your mouth honey! I'm well aware of the conditions of your probation and you've already been walking a fine line."

"Well maybe if you'd stop harassing me and looking for excuses to bring me in. Does that little wife of yours know how much time you spend tailing my ass? I bet she wouldn't appreciate hearing about all the little 'pat downs' I've received huh?" Andy hoped Oliver would forgive her for that one; she hated bringing Zoe into it but she needed to provoke him enough to get him to take her in.

Ray knew he'd better intervene soon or she was going to get herself into trouble. Now that he had her; he didn't want to blow it. He tugged on Andy's arm to get her to look at him and begged her with his eyes to just shut up.

"Sorry Officer. It was my fault; I was upset but I didn't mean to disturb anyone." Ray apologized. "Everything's fine now though; we're just going to get our order and head out. Not even planning to stay. You won't hear another peep from us. You know what; I think maybe we'll just hit a drive through instead."

"Yes, Officer, I'm sure you're quite familiar with the drive through." Andy said eying up his stomach. _She was going to pay for that one later. _

As the waitress brought over Oliver's coffee and Danish, Andy's eyebrow lifted and her head tilted as if in confirmation.

"What are you doing?" Ray muttered under his breath. "Could you just shut up for one second?"

Andy turned on him then. "You have no idea how much shit I have to put up with from this…"

"Choose your next words carefully." Oliver warned, egging Andy on hoping to provoke her to push it just far enough that he would have cause.

Traci sat and watched the entire exchange, impressed how both Oliver and Andy were playing off each other. She would have liked to have been more help, but she knew Andy had to be the one to get into trouble. When she noticed that the waitress had yet to leave, and looked like she was about to question what was going on, Traci realized her part in this – damage control. "Excuse me, officer." Traci said sweetly.

Oliver turned his gaze to her and then followed her eye line to the waitress. "Of course," he conceded.

He watched as she expertly turned the waitress away and tried to explain the oddities that were playing out in front of her.

Jerry smiled to himself as he too watched Traci masterfully handle the situation. _That's my girl._

Ray stood up then and pulled Andy from the booth. She tried to stand her ground but he was having no part of it. "Now." He growled through his teeth.

Andy saw her opening and though she was sorry she had to do it; it was her only chance. She pulled her arm out of his grip with so much force; her hand went straight into Oliver's face with a loud smack.

"That's it." He yelled out. "I'm taking you in!"

"What the hell for?"

"Assaulting an officer." He answered smugly.

"Are you kidding me? It was clearly an accident. I have witnesses." She turned to look at a stunned Ray. "Ray…you saw what happened."

Ray started to back her up when he received a menacing look from Oliver. He had a feeling that one more word and he was on his way to an adjoining cell. And this girl was so not worth getting arrested especially right before a buy; _Sammy definitely had his hands full with this one._

"You know what; I just remembered I have somewhere I have to be." Ray amended, turning towards the exit.

"Smart man." Oliver praised.

"What do you mean?" Andy complained. "I thought you were taking me to Sammy."

"I think I'll let Sammy take care of himself."

_He won't have to. _Sam's friends thought at the same time.

As Oliver cuffed Andy, as gently as he could, she called out to Traci, not wanting to leave her behind just in case. "Trace, can you follow us. Maybe call my brother."

"Absolutely." Traci agreed, having already steered the waitress back behind the counter.

"Show's over." Jerry announced as he followed the trio out.

Ray had left the diner and was already halfway down the street at almost a dead run, turning back only to get a quick glimpse of Andy being guided into the back of the cruiser. _That was too close for comfort and he was getting the hell out of there._

Oliver chuckled as he watched Ray race down the road. "Nicely played, McNally."

"Yeah, you might actually be able to give it away on the next John Sweep." Jerry taunted as Oliver released her from the cuffs.

Andy rolled her eyes and ignored Jerry who was settling into the passenger seat of the cruiser. "You too, Oliver. Sorry about the…"

"Don't mention it. But just so you know; you owe me lunch for that crack about the drive through."

"That's the one that bothered you; I felt bad for dragging Zoe into it."

"All part of the charade McNally."

"Then why do I have to buy you lunch?"

"Because I'm sensitive about my weight."

He held up his hand when she started to respond, and simply closed the door on her.

Andy was beginning to worry that she might have actually offended him when he opened the driver's door and slid in behind the wheel. He met her eyes in the mirror. "And don't give me any of that bull shit about it being what's inside that counts. That's still feeble, McNally."

With a wink, he turned his attention ahead and started the ignition. Andy just chuckled and settled comfortably in the back seat, thankful that she had again been able to avoid a possible catastrophe. _Thank God Traci had called her to go for supper._

* * *

><p>They got back to the station with just enough time to head to the briefing room to go over the plans for the bust that was taking place that night.<p>

Once everyone was gathered, Boyd went through all of the details outlining the buy, where Sam would be and his plan for staying out of harm's way. They would be taking out the outside surveillance first and working their way in close. As soon as they saw the product and the money exchanged hands, they would move in.

Boyd was then down to assigning everyone to teams. "Who wants to join McNally in the can?"

All of the uniformed officers looked around with wide eyes thinking the same thing; you generally volunteered for surveillance in the can. They all knew how much Andy cared for Sam and they hunched their shoulders in anticipation of the inevitable backlash.

No one was more surprised than Boyd though when she didn't protest; not even a peep. Boyd didn't know what Sam had said to her, but he had to give him credit; he would have never guessed that she would go along willingly. He wondered if Swarek would be willing to share his secret; so did the other TO's.

Once the teams were all finalized, Boyd started talking about the timing. "So the whole thing is supposed to go down at three a.m. so…"

"Two or three?" Andy interrupted.

"Pay attention, McNally; I said three." Boyd snapped, obviously frustrated by her lack of focus.

It wasn't that she wasn't listening though. "No…In the bathroom…Sam and I…while we were…"

"Spit it out McNally." Boyd ordered.

"When you talked to Sam on the phone, while I was in the bathroom at the club with him," Andy started, a slight blush coloring her cheeks at the memory.

Oliver and Jerry exchanged a look; they were going to have to ask Sammy exactly what went on in that bathroom.

"He called you from my phone and said he thought it was going down at two."

Boyd was about to argue with her, when one of his guys spoke up. "She's right; it's in your notes right here that he said two in the morning."

"Yeah, well, last I talked to him, he confirmed three. We should still be ready in plenty of time if it's two, but just in case we'll add an extra half hour leeway unless we hear otherwise. Now head out and do your thing. We all meet back here at eleven thirty; the cover shift will be in eleven."

Best, who had been standing off to the side wanting to keep apprised, added. "Serve, protect and let's get Sammy back here."

After a few shouts of agreement, the room cleared out for a couple of hours of regular shift.

* * *

><p>As one room was clearing, another began to fill.<p>

Sammy's gang was just gathering at the warehouse though they wouldn't be heading to the dock for a few hours. They just needed to make sure everyone was ready and up to speed.

As the room started to buzz with activity, Sammy looked around and was painfully aware that one person was noticeably absent…Ray. He asked around and everyone said the same thing; he'd been out all day yesterday and today doing a favor for the boss. Unfortunately no one knew what that favor was.

Since they still had a couple hours before the boss showed up, they decided they could afford a little time to wait. They would give him one hour; if he didn't show, they would go through the plans without him. Vic and Sammy stood off to the side debating how to rearrange duties if for some reason he didn't show.

When Ray still hadn't appeared after an hour, Vic grabbed everyone's attention and he and Sammy reviewed the plans one last time including contingencies for Ray's absence.

The boss and his two henchmen entered the warehouse just as the crew finished with the final details. Confident that they were ready, Vic turned to the boss to see if he was ready for them to go through it all again with him.

Before he had a chance to speak, the door was thrown open and slammed against the wall. Everyone who had a gun reached for theirs simultaneously.

Unarmed and out in the open, Sammy responded first. "What the hell?"

When they realized it was Ray, there were a few choice words thrown his way before the boss intervened. "Can it! Where the hell have you been?"

Ray looked back at him confused. "I was…" He glanced over at Sammy wondering if he was supposed to say anything or not. "Looking for uh…you know…"

If he was trying to be subtle, he was failing miserably. Sammy knew immediately who he had been sent out to look for; his only consolation was that Ray appeared to be alone.

"Where is she?" The boss knew Sammy wasn't an idiot and since Ray clearly was, there was no point in keeping up the charade. "Did you find her?"

Ray paused just a little too long for Sammy's liking. "Nope…she, uh, never showed."

"Are you sure?" The boss wondered; he too had noticed Ray's hesitation.

"Okay, fine. I saw her, but…"

Ray could see the boss was ready to explode so he continued quickly in an attempt to cover his ass. "The cops showed all right."

Sammy did his best to hold onto his poker face; _it didn't look like her cover was blown or Ray would have lead with that._ He waited for him to continue.

"They arrested her before I could get her out of there." He admitted sheepishly.

The boss looked doubtful. _Couldn't the man do anything right?_

Ray saw the uncertainty and felt the need to justify his actions. "Seriously…I had to get out of there or we were going to be sharing a cell. You need me for tonight. I figured you'd rather have me here than her."

Sammy knew for a fact that he would, but by the look on the boss' face, it was a tough call for him.

Ray turned to Sammy. "You definitely got your hands full with that one Sammy; she's…"

Before Ray could continue, the boss instructed everyone to gather round so they could go through everything one last time including how they would get there, who would be riding with whom, every little detail.

Sammy leaned down to scratch at his ankle.

* * *

><p>A radio crackled to life silencing every voice in the room. "Boss, you're going to want to hear this."<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry for the exceptionally long delay; just one more chapter after this one I think and then I'm back to more lighthearted fare. These case details were killer.

This chapter feels like a bit of filler. It's not as much fun as the last one, but hopefully it's got enough action to keep you interested and holding on to see it through. Thanks for sticking with me.

Thanks to Sairs J for giving this the once over and her suggestions on helping it move along better. (I was very tempted to include your trailer for the movie ;)

Oh yeah…did you wonder why Sammy scratched his ankle?

* * *

><p>A radio crackled to life silencing every voice in the room. "Boss, you're going to want to hear this."<p>

The summoned man picked up the radio quickly as all eyes fell upon him in anticipation. "What's up?"

"Swarek just activated the mike; I'm patching it through now. Hang on."

The entire war room remained frozen in place until voices from the warehouse filled the room. Sam's voice was quickly recognized intermixed with all the others. Boyd and his team listened in as the details Sam had previously given them were confirmed by each member of the gang, walking through the upcoming night each describing his part in full.

The takedown team had secured site plans from the city and missing information was frantically being scribbled directly onto them as each crew member spoke.

When the Boss asked what they had for firepower, Boyd could have kissed him. Swarek hadn't had a chance to brief them on specifics just that there would be mostly handguns of various calibers. The takedown team listened intently as the guns emerged and each man laid claim. One of Boyd's guys was furiously making notes trying to match up each man with his gun and position. He knew they would be recording this, and he had every intention of going over it again with their surveillance tech as soon as the show was over.

Once the guns appeared to be handed out and the individual responsibilities were confirmed, the Boss took over.

Boyd knew Swarek was good but he still couldn't believe he was pulling this off; they were hearing everything. The boss became Boyd's new favorite person as he outlined the rest of the details specific to timing. The dealer's boat was scheduled to arrive at two-thirty; he even gave the slip number and the man's name, bless his heart. He wanted everyone there at two setting up. By the time the cargo was unloaded and brought up, they would be dealing by three and out of there by three-thirty. They were not sticking around any longer than they had to.

Boyd nodded to one of his guys as soon as the dealer's name was mentioned; no one batted an eye when their teammate bolted from the room, no doubt searching for an open computer where he could dig up whatever intel was available on Ellyas.

Boyd's smile widened as each part of the plan was further documented; he was now certain this would work like a charm, and with McNally safely in the can, he was confident that he wouldn't have to worry about her bad luck getting in his way again. He reminded himself to thank Sammy for that one at the end of the night.

As quickly as the broadcast began, it was over and the voices in the war room picked up again. Undocumented details were gleaned from the recording until every item had been written down. The only thing to do now...was wait. And when the takedown team got back in at eleven thirty they would run down the newly acquired details and head out by twelve-thirty. They would be in for another delay at the site, but everyone had to be in place in plenty of time for this to go down without a hitch.

Boyd was feeling pretty good; Swarek had ensured that they were going in far from blind and the fact that the deal was going down in Fifteen even though this gang operated out of Twenty Seven was more than fine with him. He'd worked with the officers at Fifteen more often and always felt the most comfortable with them, plus he knew Sam would be happier with his own guys backing him up too.

And 'his guys' were obviously eager to do it as each one returned promptly by eleven thirty, ready and raring to go. At the words, "we heard from Sammy again," an anticipatory buzz filled the room and Boyd wasted no time in getting started, providing them with anything and everything one last time.

It was ten minutes after twelve when he concluded. "McNally and Jennings will be monitoring it all from the van in the east parking lot. As soon as the product is confirmed and Ellyas takes possession of the money, Jennings gives the signal and we move in. We'll already have the two gate keepers in custody so there shouldn't be anything standing in our way."

"Oh…and no one gets away people, no kid gloves, not even for Swarek. He gets treated just like everyone else."

There were a few grumbles mixed in with a few chuckles. Some thought it would be fun to give Swarek a run for his money and looked forward to taking him down; hey if McNally could do it…Friends just wanted Sam back on their side as quickly as possible and didn't relish treating him like a common criminal.

"We don't want anyone figuring out who he really is. It's for his protection and he knows it."

Boyd then reiterated where Sam would be and his plan for staying out of harm's way. Everyone needed to know exactly where he was at all times so they could "get Sammy back here" alive; it was imperative that any cover fire was directed as far away from him as possible.

With details and numbers confirmed (Sam's crew of thirteen and assumptions on the gun runner's team), it was time to head out and take their positions. After that, it was all over but the waiting.

* * *

><p>Like clockwork, Sammy's crew arrived at two. One car was parked at the west gate and the two SUVs, complete with fake security decals, were driven right down to the meeting site. The Boss' preference would have been to deal within one of the warehouses, but Ellyas would never go for that. He always refused anytime it was suggested to go inside. Even if they were out in the open; he liked it much better that way. He didn't want anything in his way if he had to get out of there fast.<p>

As they moved to take their designated positions, there was a nervous energy taking over the crew that was felt by every single one of them.

…And their audience.

In the surveillance van, Andy sat mesmerized by the various perspectives on display. It was like watching a movie after reading the book, as each detail Boyd had described earlier played out on the screens in front of her.

The 'location' mirrored the plans to a 'T'. After the two rows of buildings there was another lane, which led down to a boat launch at the east end. Bordering the south end of the road was a fence with two gates. Each gate led to a walkway down to a dock that edged the water.

Andy watched as Jimmy stepped out of one of the SUV's and walked through the east gate; he would be patrolling up and down the dock and would let the boss know when the boat arrived and the dealer's crew was headed up. He could also direct any night traffic up the east walkway if need be; they had studied the schedule though and this being the slowest night the probability of that happening was pretty slim. The gun runner, Ellyas, was set to anchor down at a slip on the west end of the dock and would come up the west walkway with the merchandise.

Jennings sat next to Andy and tried to make small talk but she couldn't take her eyes off of Sam who had just emerged from the other vehicle. He looked good; as usual way too much gel but that didn't matter to her. What mattered was that in a few short hours he was done and they could finish what they started.

Next to each gate, and nestled close to the fence, sat two dumpsters. With no access to Sam, there was no way he could be equipped with a wire so Boyd's team had already outfitted each dumpster with a mike and camera to record the actual transaction and afford Andy her front row seat. Various cameras were also attached to the buildings lining the buy site and along the dock; she had every angle she could ever imagine.

She tore her eyes away from Sam as Ray and RJ opened the back doors and walked directly to the east dumpster; they were tasked with watching the backs of their team who would be setting up for the buy between the two bins.

She turned her attention back to Sam, who was now joined by Vic, the Boss and his two henchmen. They gathered around a transformer for the underground power supply which would serve as a makeshift table where the money could easily be counted. The Boss remained flanked by his two henchmen who would supervise the counting of the money while Sam and Vic inspected the merchandise.

Andy continued to analyze Sam's every move; he looked confident and without a care in the world. She knew he was good; she had witnessed it first hand as Edie. But watching him in action now gave her a newfound respect for just how good he was. No wonder Boyd always wanted him; she couldn't fault him for that but she could worry just how long it would be before Boyd came knocking again.

She was jolted from her thoughts when the calm on the screen was interrupted by the chaos over the wire. Although she couldn't see anything, Boyd's earlier briefing and the current soundtrack painted a clear picture in her head.

There were two entrances to the takedown site. She knew from the Intel Sam had gotten them there would be one guy stationed at each entrance posing as some type of security guard. Each of the men posted at the entrances was not a regular member of the crew; they were the paid help for the night, extra security for when they thought Vicero would be a threat. With their lack of experience, they probably didn't even bat an eyelid when they were approached by the two men_. _Likely had no idea something was off until they found themselves lying on their stomachs, their hands cuffed behind their backs.

As she listened to their rights recited in time with their footsteps, she knew they were being moved out into the street to the dark van that had pulled up against the curb. And as the van made its exit, she knew it would be replaced quickly by a number of marked and unmarked cruisers ready to go at a moment's notice.

And that moment wasn't far off as she heard the mike phone in the Boss' hand announce the arrival of Ellyas. She refocused onto the main screen and watched as the gang waited for the five men Jimmy had spotted coming up the dock, identified as the man in charge accompanied by four others carrying two crates. _This movie was about to get interesting._

The rest of Sammy's crew caught sight of them as they made their way up the walkway to the gate. When they arrived, two crates were dropped off and left behind with Ellyas and two men studiously protecting his back. The other pair headed back to the boat returning shortly with another couple of men and two more crates. One duo then headed back to the boat while the others remained to surround Ellyas.

Handshakes were exchanged quickly with pleasantries not necessary and quickly abandoned for more pressing business. As Sam and Vic pried the lid off the first crate and began inspecting the merchandise, two of Ellyas' men accepted the bag of cash and began counting the money atop the transformer.

Although she would have preferred to keep her eyes on Sam at all times, Andy found her gaze periodically falling on each of the other monitors where she could observe the three guys patrolling the various paths between the buildings leading up to the road Sam was on. Her heart rate would speed up each time she noticed one of them approaching the parking lot on the east end. Although it housed a number of different vehicles, she hoped the one she was currently in did not stand out amongst the others and a sigh of relief always followed when they turned and walked away.

Jennings didn't bat an eye. He was seeing everything she saw but this wasn't his first time at the show, and he wasn't worried about what was going to happen next.

* * *

><p>Out on the dock, Jimmy had watched the two men return to the boat and turned to see what he could of the deal. There were a pair of street lamps outside the gates but they were directed back in towards the water so although there was enough light for the guys up top to see, it was not like a spotlight and he had to strain to try and make out where things were at.<p>

As he waited for the signal that the deal was done and he could return, he heard a scuffle towards the end of the dock. It appeared to be coming from near Ellyas' boat. The last thing they needed was trouble so he made his way over as quickly and as quietly as possible.

As he reached the end of the pier, he could see at least four people wrestling atop the runner's boat and he had just hit his call button to alert the boss of the trouble when he heard the click. It wasn't the sound that had stopped him cold though; it was the unmistakable feel of the barrel of a gun against the back of his neck.

Back at the road, everyone froze when they heard the mike phone come to life and a worried voice stutter out, "Boss?"

"This better be good." The big man grumbled, not happy with the interruption.

"Sorry, false alarm." Jimmy stuttered quickly as the boss shook his head and motioned for everyone to carry on. He expected this from Ray but not from Jimmy.

The arresting officer congratulated Jimmy on a job well done, cuffing him quickly before rejoining the backup team that had taken residence on the boat neighboring that of Ellyas. With Jimmy and Ellyas' two guys detained, they waited patiently for the final takedown.

* * *

><p>Back at the van, Andy was getting more and more anxious. Sammy and Vic were now looking in the third crate and it appeared as if the other two were coming towards the end of their counting. It wouldn't be long now and Jennings would give the signal. She looked over at Boyd's guy, and he shook his head<em>…not yet…not till the dealer and his men accepted the money.<em>

The pivotal scene was about to unfold, and if the script was correct, once the product was confirmed and the dealer was satisfied with the money, the guns were to be loaded into the two vehicles and they would head out. The boss, his two henchmen and Sammy in one; Vic, RJ, Jimmy and Ray in the other. The other five had a vehicle waiting at the west gate and would take off as soon as they saw the other vehicles pass through. Of course they hadn't yet received Boyd's revisions.

Andy briefly wondered why they didn't wait till they were all in the vehicles and more easily contained, but dismissed that knowing that would give Ellyas more of a chance to get away.

She looked up briefly as Jennings leaned off his perch beside her clearly intending to grab his phone, but his headset got extended a little too far as he tried to maneuver around Andy. Two pairs of hands shot out as the headset reached its limit and forced itself from his head. Unfortunately, the only thing they felt was empty air and they watched helplessly as the equipment echoed off the side of the van. Jennings' eyes went wide and Andy gasped. It shouldn't have been overly loud outside the van, but if anyone was walking nearby…

But they couldn't dwell on it; they had a job to do. So they continued to watch the monitors with baited breath and Andy could feel the tension release from her body bit by bit as more time passed. She was just about to throw Jennings a small smile of relief when she felt movement at the side of the van. She exchanged a look of concern with her partner when she realized that he had indeed felt it too. Together they turned to the source of the motion and saw what looked like a face trying to peer into the driver's side window.

_Of course, someone had heard; __**she**__ was in the van and luck was never with her…well rarely good luck anyway._

Thankfully, the windows were tinted and nothing could be seen from the outside so they knew that wouldn't be an issue. They stayed completely still wondering why anyone might possibly be there. It couldn't be one of their own; they would have identified themselves or announced their arrival on the wire. That left only two options; it had to be someone from the gang or an innocent bystander.

When the face disappeared, they both let out relieved breaths but they were short lived as that someone began pounding on the back door. _Shit!_

"What do we do?" Andy said in a panic; she knew they weren't supposed to leave the van for any reason but they didn't really have much of a choice now did they. _But how could they leave the van and still keep an eye on the deal?  
><em>  
>Jennings kept his cool; someone had to. "Just keep your eyes peeled on those screens. If I'm not back before the deal is done, you need to call it. Okay?"<p>

She looked more than a little panicked. "Okay?" He asked again.

"Yes."

"You remember when?"

That got her ire up; _they'd only gone over it a hundred times._"Yes, the minute the dealer takes the bag of cash, we call it."

"Good, now hopefully I can get rid of this guy quickly, but if not."

"I'm fine alright…go, before he gets any more ideas."

She watched as her partner crawled through the equipment to the front of the van and headed out of the driver's door, not wanting their visitor to get a good look into the back.

"Is there a problem?" Jennings asked innocently as he exited the vehicle.

"What are you doing here?" The guy demanded peering around the side of the van.

"Just hanging out. Why?"

"Do you always hang out in your van in a parking lot in the middle of the night?"

Jennings tried to look despondent. "For the last few months anyway…lost my job and well…I was hoping to find something around here…maybe one of the boats needed an extra hand…I don't know…" He let his words fall off hoping the guy would feel sorry for him and let them be.

But just as the guy was about to respond, hopefully with condolences, all hell broke loose. Andy had to have given the signal because the still of the night was broken by multiple sirens and flashing lights coming from what felt like every direction.

* * *

><p>With the entrances secure, everyone had been sitting at the ready just waiting for Jennings' signal.<p>

Oliver had been drumming his hands on the steering wheel for the last half hour; he couldn't wait to get this over with. He couldn't wait to get his friend back, sit at the Penny and exchange laughs, listen to him go on and on about McNally while completely denying anything between them.

If Shaw had his way, Swarek would finally man up after all this and stop staring at her across the bar and actually get up and make a move…start something.

When Oliver heard McNally's voice come on the radio and call the takedown, he simply rolled his eyes before he flipped the cruiser into gear and jumped into action with everyone else. _Of course she ended up calling it. _

_And what the hell happened to Jennings?_

* * *

><p>Recognition came into the man's eyes as soon as he saw the squad cars and heard the sirens and he started wrestling with Jennings, who hadn't had a chance to pull his gun.<p>

Andy could hear the struggle going on outside and she stood to back up her partner. She paused for a millisecond, still leery about leaving the van. _She __**had**__ made a promise, but surely that didn't matter now; her work was done and Jennings needed help. _

She had one hand on her gun and the other hand on the release. She had just popped the latch and was about to open the door when it fell away in front of her. Her gun may have been in her hand but when she lost purchase on the door, she found herself off balance and it was quickly knocked away.

"Get back in." The man ordered, pushing her back with his own gun to her chest.

Unarmed, she had no choice but to comply. "Get in the driver's seat." He ordered as he followed her through the maze of electronics at the back.

"Where's Jennings?" She demanded.

"Your friend? He's taking a little nap right now, and you and I, we're going for a little drive."

_Dammit! She hated leaving a movie before the credits rolled!_


	15. Chapter 15

Well, I made it to the bust…finally…but not to the end of the story. Still one more chapter…I think.

Thanks again for the reviews and favorites. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Thanks again to mamaverd and Sairs J for the helping hands.

* * *

><p>Looking around, Sam could see that everyone in his crew and Ellyas' was stunned by the sound of the sirens piercing the air. He schooled his features in much the same way before deftly maneuvering his way around the crates and ducking in behind the transformer with Vic almost on top of him.<p>

It seemed to take a few seconds for everything to completely register with everyone else before all hell broke loose and he watched as the rest of the group scrambled for various forms of camouflage. The Boss and his two goons lunged toward Ray and RJ, joining them behind the cover of the dumpster. They had contemplated joining Sam and Vic who were closer, but there was clearly not going to be enough room for everyone. Sam could swear that he saw a look flash in the Boss' eyes before he turned and it wouldn't have surprised him one bit if he had shoved both he and Vic out into the open to protect himself. But for some reason he didn't.

Red and blue lights were now flashing from what felt like every direction and for a moment Sam was blinded by a huge spotlight that had been directed right at the center of the scene. The bright light seemed to illuminate an area easily the size of a square city block, and it was going to be next to impossible for anyone to escape detection, not that it mattered to him.

Sam had his gun at the ready but would only use it as a last resort, and even then it wouldn't be leveled directly at anyone.

He could hear his coworkers yelling for all of them to come out so no one would get hurt, but he stood his ground. According to the plan, the other five guys should already be in custody so everything and everyone else was contained to this area. Now he just had to stay out of harm's way long enough for them to get the rest to surrender.

He was somewhat concerned that Vic would draw some fire if he chose to fight back but surprisingly he also seemed reluctant to use his gun. It was clear why Sam wasn't, but he was surprised to see that Vic didn't seem to be preparing for battle.

"Come with me." Vic ordered, shifting his body towards the dock.

"What? Where?" Sam threw out his hands in confusion and flipped his head from side to side; they were quite obviously trapped.

Vic grabbed hold of the fence behind the transformer and pulled it away; it had been cut recently to provide the perfect escape route.

"Did you…did you know that they were…" Sam knew he couldn't have known but why else would Vic have a contingency plan.

"What? No! I'm no snitch, but I wasn't going to take any chances if Vicero showed up either. I don't have a death wish and I sure as hell don't want to go to jail."

"Where would we go?"

"I…uh…" Vic liked Sammy; he'd been planning this for quite some time and the threat of a gang war seemed to give him the extra push he needed and now, he wanted Sammy to come with him. "I've been saving my money and I've got some friends out West. We just have to get there." He explained. "We can start over where no one knows us. I'm too old for this shit; I'm done. And I've got enough saved to buy into a business out there. You're a smart guy Sammy; we can do it together. Let's go."

Sam felt sorry for Vic; they had spent a few late nights talking and he knew he had been forced into this life. He would love to see a guy like him get a fresh start, but whether he knew it or not it was already too late.

As Sam hesitated, Vic was convinced he knew the reason why. "You can send for her."

Sam furrowed his brow. "What? Who?"

"Your girl." He answered as if it were obvious. "Once we get out of here, get out there, get settled, you call her and we send her a bus ticket."

"But…"

"I'm not blind Sammy. I see how much you like her, and if you're willing to stick around here and fight, well you're in even deeper than I thought. She means a lot to you." He noted, without question.

Sam answered honestly. "Yes she does."

"Come on." He prompted. "I promise; we'll get her there as soon as we can. But if we don't leave now, the cops will have us surrounded. This is our last chance."

Sam was pretty sure they already were surrounded, but as a shot rang out from his right, he figured he would rather be a little further away.

When the inevitable gun fight began and he saw one of the boss' henchmen go down, it was the perfect diversion. With one more, quick look back, he motioned to Vic. "Lead the way."

Sam followed his buddy through the fence and into the tall grass that led down to the dock. The ground was soft, but not enough to slow them down too much as Sam quickly pushed Vic to the west. _His_ contingency plan dictated that he make his way in that direction since the only thing to the east was more water. And unless Vic had a boat waiting that would probably look suspicious.

They stayed low to the ground and made their way parallel to the fence. As they were approaching the west walkway, Sam could see Vic trying to determine how they would get over it without being detected. The grass had given them some protection against being seen but the wooden planks would afford no security at all.

Speed was all they had so the second Vic cleared the walkway, Sam was hot on his heels and crouched back down into the grass as they continued move along the fence line. Sam didn't see anyone following them and he had no idea what he would do if they actually got away, but decided he would wait to cross that bridge if they came to it.

They had finally cleared the gunfire and the far reaches of the spotlight, which meant it was time to get serious. They had just agreed to stand up and take off in a dead run when Sam heard a familiar tone to his right. "Police! Drop your weapons or I'll shoot!"

Sam's eyes met Vic's. He watched the different scenarios play out on Vic's face and for a second he wondered if he would be stupid enough to make a run for it. But when Vic's focus came back to his friend, he shook his head almost in apology though neither one was sure what he had to be sorry for.

Sam tried to mirror Vic's defeated look as he dropped his gun to the ground and lifted his hands above his head. "It's all good, man. No need to shoot."

Vic followed Sam's lead and let his gun fall to the dirt before they were both directed to drop to their knees with their hands behind their head.

Sam was generous with his complaints as the cop arresting them was anything but gentle; he knew they were putting on a show but this guy, Peterson he thought his name was, was taking his role way to seriously.

Sam shot him a glare that under normal circumstances would have had any fellow officer cowering, but it was clear Peterson was enjoying having the upper hand for a change. If he knew what was good for him he would have been trying a lot harder to hold back his grin; Sam liked to hold a grudge and most everyone knew better than to find their way onto the wrong end of it.

Once he had Sam and Vic cuffed, Peterson guided them back towards the buy site. As they closed in on the scene, Sam watched in amusement as Boyd's team converged on the Boss and RJ who seemed to be the last two standing.

Sam was fighting hard to suppress a smirk; he was more than pleased to see the big man get what was coming to him. A large number of shooting deaths in the area could be attributed to this man and the weapons he supplied so it was about time for Karma to bite him in the ass. Sam mentally patted himself on the back as the man was tackled to the ground. He was as dirty as they came so Sam couldn't help but find it fitting that he ended with his thousand dollar suit ground into the mud.

Passing through the gate, Sam heard a scuffle behind him and he slowed to a stop, turning back to see Jimmy being led up from the dock along with the two of Ellyas' guys. He shot another glare at Peterson when he felt his arm being jerked forward.

"Take it easy." Sam muttered under his breath, but all he received in return was a satisfied smirk and a healthy push forward that just about tripped him up.

Sam righted his feet and looked back up, just in time to see the boss and one of his henchmen being dragged towards the nearest cruiser. He couldn't believe Epstein. _1519? Are you kidding me? _Sam tried not to laugh as Oliver yanked Epstein away from his car; there was no way Oliver was cleaning up after that.

"Sorry, that seat is taken." Oliver discouraged, shutting the door before Epstein had a chance to sit the man down. Shaw had every intention of driving Sam back to the station and nothing was getting in his way. Besides, the man was filthy.

"Your back seat is empty, and it's closer." Dov argued.

"You put that filth in my car, and you'll be cleaning it for a month." Oliver warned.

He then directed his glare at the Boss who was smirking at him and his show of authority. "I'm not talking about the mud, dirtbag."

"You think you got problems. I'm the one that has to ride with a _pig._"

"Somehow, I think pig is a step up from your usual company."

The smirk was gone, but the man's bravado was still intact. "I'll have you know I pay more to shine my shoes than you make in a month…_officer_."

"I don't doubt that for a second…_Boss Hogg_. And as luck would have it, the place you're headed will have plenty of _gentlemen_ willing to 'polish up your loafers' for free."

Now it was gone. _Game. Set. Match. Shaw._

Dov worked hard to swallow his surprise and amusement before dragging the now uneasy Boss back to his cruiser about twenty meters away.

_Some things never change. _Sam thought before taking inventory of his friends and coworkers. He spotted Nash, Diaz, Peck, Jerry and Noelle, and thankfully Andy was nowhere to be found. _She kept her promise. _He couldn't have been happier – a little surprised maybe, but definitely not happier; there was no way any of 'his guys' could put two and two together now. _She was safe._

Speaking of his guys, he needed to know that they were all accounted for too. The two guys at the entrance were to be taken down early and would be long gone; there's no way they would have been missed. He had seen all of Ellyas' men. But as he looked around, he searched his mind having remembered seeing the Boss and his two goons, Jimmy, Vic, Ray, RJ and himself. There should have been three more guys.

As they neared the remaining officers, Sam started to struggle against the hold a little. "Loosen up, buddy. You wouldn't want to be accused of police brutality."

"You think this is brutality." Peterson threatened sarcastically, clearly implying that Swarek had gone soft.

Sam wondered briefly what he must have done to piss this guy off; though the feeling was now more than mutual. Sam met Oliver's eyes as he continued. "My lawyer's going to hear about this. You can COUNT on it."

Oliver and Sam had worked together a long time and Oliver knew exactly what his friend was getting at. Sam wanted a count; he wanted, no needed to know that they had everyone in custody.

Oliver gave an almost imperceptible nod before walking over to Boyd. "How many do we have?"

"What?"

"How many guys do we have? Swarek…" No one would pick up on it with the use of the last name. "Wants to make sure we have everyone."

"_Swarek, _needs to stop worrying about my job and worry about his own right now." Boyd grumbled loudly, purposely making himself loud enough for Sam to hear.

But that wasn't going to work on Oliver…or on Sam; Shaw knew he would push the issue. And he didn't disappoint.

Sam yelled out to the guy holding him. "HOW MANY times do I have to tell you?"

Oliver turned to Boyd and lifted his brow as if to say 'have you not met the man; you know he doesn't take no for an answer'.

"I got it under control all right; now get him under control." Boyd ordered under his breath.

Oliver shook his head and stepped aside sweeping his arms back towards Sam; maybe Boyd liked poking an angry dog with a sharp stick, but he sure didn't. "Have at 'er."

Boyd shoved the person he had into the waiting arms of another Guns and Gangs member and followed Shaw back to the middle of the melee.

They rejoined the fray just as two other cops pulled in a pair of guys from Sam's gang that had been patrolling the alleyways. But before Boyd had a chance to ask them how it went, a hand gripped his shoulder hard from behind.

He reached quickly for his gun, which he had holstered earlier and spun on his heel. Oliver felt the movement beside him and turned just as quickly to see what had startled the detective. They exchanged a look of surprise at finding Jennings staggering along behind them and rubbing the back of his head.

"What the hell happened to you?" Boyd demanded. "Why was McNally calling it?"

"You can read the report." Jennings grumbled. "Now where the hell is she and why the hell did she take off without me? Did she bring him down here?"

"Who?"

"McNally."

"We got that." Oliver interrupted trying to hide his concern. "But bring who?"

Jennings ignored the question in favor of continuing his rant. "I can't believe she left me there; she better have a damn good reason why she took off. Didn't anyone teach her you never leave your partner?" He accused, directing his glare at Oliver.

"What are you talking about?" Boyd mumbled, pulling Jennings back a few feet. He hadn't been worried about the last guy before, but he was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

Oliver was about to follow them over when he heard Sam kicking up a fuss again. It didn't take a genius to know that he wanted in on this too.

"You seem to have your hands full." Oliver announced walking over to Peterson who still had a tight grip on both Sam and Vic.

"Let me take this one for you." Shaw offered, grabbing hold of Sam.

Peterson's veto never made it past his lips as Shaw yanked Sam clear of his grasp. "Now get the other one out of here." He ordered.

"I suppose you want me to **thank you**." Sam sneered.

"All in a day's work **my friend**." Oliver replied, feigning sarcasm.

Both messages sent...and received.

"Get them all out of here!" Boyd yelled as he flipped his phone closed.

None of his guys had to be told twice as the last of the gang members were herded quickly into the waiting cars, and one by one they began to pull away to head back to the station.

Oliver hesitated and Boyd glared at him. He didn't need anyone, especially Swarek, anywhere near his conversation with Jennings. "I said get them ALL back to the station."

Chris moved to take Sam away from Oliver, who seemed to want to stay.

"I've got this one." Oliver objected before unceremoniously guiding Sam into the back of his squad. He discreetly dropped his handcuff keys into Sam's lap before shutting the back door and opening up the driver's side to roll down the back window.

"Can I…" Chris started.

"If you go now, you can jump in with Epstein."

Chris hustled off. He was baffled by what was going on but it was easy to see that he had overstayed his welcome.

Boyd moved to stand toe-to-toe with Oliver. "Get him back to the Barn."

Then he leaned down to the window. "Sammy, you gotta get back there; if you disappear, they'll know something is up. We got it from here."

Sam had a few choice words for Boyd letting him know just where he thought **he** should go. Then he lowered his voice, and with an eerie calm he warned Boyd. "You better hope McNally is there cause if she's not and you can't tell me exactly where she is, I'm walking right out of there and I don't care who sees me."

"It's all under control." Boyd assured him.

Sam scoffed. "Yeah, cause you don't look like you're about to shit your pants right now. Who were you trying to call back there?"

Boyd's eyes widened; he should have known Swarek would have picked up on everything.

"Just one of my guys." Boyd replied. _It was true enough._

Sam exchanged a knowing look with Oliver; it was obvious that Boyd knew more than he was letting on and between the two of them, they were going to get to the bottom of it.

Oliver smiled with mock graciousness. "Jennings…seeing as your ride is gone, maybe you want to head back with us?"

"No!" Boyd practically yelled. "He's with me. We'll meet you there."

Oliver stepped forward until he was well into Boyd's personal space. "I am going to parade Sam through booking just like you asked. And just so we understand each other; this is not for your sake, it's for his. But hear me now; if McNally isn't there to greet us, he and I are going back out."

"You don't even know where to start." Boyd reasoned.

"Do you?" Oliver asked incredulously.

"Of course not! Do you realize what you're implying?"

Oliver didn't even bother dignifying that with a comment; the implications were obvious and as far as he was concerned, more than warranted.

Oliver's gaze never left Boyd's as he pulled the radio from his belt. "McNally, what's your twenty?" Oliver asked.

No answer.

He shifted his focus to Sam as he tried again to no avail. The concern and fear flashed clearly on his friend's face but they were quickly replaced by anger. For Boyd's sake Shaw was glad he had shut the door though he was starting to consider opening it back up again.

"Fifteen-nineteen to Dispatch."

"Get him back there…now!" Boyd tried, only to be ignored once again by Shaw.

_"Dispatch, go ahead Fifteen-nineteen."_

"Can you get the GPS signal from the surveillance van and patch it through to me?"

_"Which van?"_

Oliver had no idea, and he looked up at Boyd who was making a phone call and trying his best to ignore the scene playing out in front of him. Jennings gave Oliver the unit number and held up his hand with a 'but' which Oliver failed to heed.

_"Sorry Fifteen-nineteen; there's no GPS in that one. It's from the old fleet so it wasn't equipped with a tracking system. Check with the guy who signed it out; Jennings, it looks like. He should have been given a manual transmitter to hook up when he got it."_

"Roger that."

Both Oliver and Sam turned expectantly to Jennings who reached into his pocket. He tilted his head and shrugged in chagrin as he pulled out a small square device.

"Damn it!" Oliver cursed.

"We need a helicopter." Sam announced.

"You don't need a chopper; you don't even know if anything is wrong. Knowing that rookie of yours, she probably just forgot to turn on her radio." Boyd disparaged.

Sam continued with the assault of daggers he was shooting at Boyd. "Do you have everyone in custody?"

"Everyone we wanted." Boyd confirmed confidently.

_Does he think we're idiots?_ Sam dropped his chin and raised his eyebrows; he knew the runaround when he heard it. "How many of my guys did you bring in?"

"Twelve." Boyd responded brashly.

Sam's confidence faltered for just a second and Boyd started to let go of the breath he was holding.

"Including me?" Sam clarified.

_Shit! _

"Boyd! Including me?"

The jig was up. "Yes, including you."

"Damn it, Boyd!"

And Sam wasn't the only one who was livid; Oliver looked ready to throttle the man himself. It was not a look he often sported, especially when dealing with another officer; so when he took a couple of steps forward, Boyd found himself backing up in surprise. His eyes widened even further as Oliver reached down to open the back door of his cruiser.

Boyd couldn't believe it. "You're letting him out?"

Oliver scoffed. "Nope…you're getting in."

"The hell I am." Boyd contested. "I'll take my own car thanks. Let's go Jennings."

Oliver wasn't taking no for an answer though. "You're missing an armed suspect and possibly a cop and you don't want to call in a chopper. You want us to jump through your hoops? Get in the damn car and start talking. And I hope for your sake that we're satisfied by the time we get to the Barn."

Boyd hated having his back up against the wall and so he did what he did best…tried to deflect. "Don't tell me that rookie's got you wrapped around her finger too?"

Oliver couldn't believe the nerve. "It's Officer McNally to you, asshole and not that it matters, but I've known her since she was a kid and her dad was my TO. But that's not the point; the point is that one of our brothers, well sisters, is missing and you don't seem to give a damn."

It's not that he didn't give a damn; though he would have to admit that McNally had never been his favorite person. It's just that he didn't really think she was in danger…at least that's what he kept telling himself.

"The guy that's missing is my CI alright?"

Sam's eyebrows shot to the top of his head. "You had a CI in there and you didn't think maybe it was something I should know?"

"It just sort of happened. I didn't find out he was going to be here until last night okay. He' my CI from Vicero's gang; I arrested him about a month ago for…" Boyd let the thought trail off; the last thing Swarek needed was to hear what this guy might be capable of. "It doesn't matter. He offered me an in with Vicero if I found a way to make his arrest go away; it wasn't hard."

Boyd watched the disgust take over all three faces and quickly tried to justify his actions. "Thanks to him we've been able to intercept a lot of buyers before they even get a chance to use the guns. It's saved a lot of lives and it's not like the guy he…he's helped me get a lot of scum off the street."

"That doesn't explain why he was here tonight and how you didn't know about it." Sam prompted.

"Apparently your buddy Ray recruited him for the team earlier in the week. It was one night of playing lookout for a few extra bucks. He wasn't going to tell me about it; he didn't realize we were already onto it. But he let something slip when I was…"

"When you were what?"

"When I was confirming that Vicero wasn't going to show up tonight." Boyd revealed.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Did you even ask the white shirts about luring Vicero in?"

Boyd shook his head. "It wouldn't have happened anyway so…"

"Did you make sure of that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you tell your CI to make sure they didn't show?"

Boyd nodded.

Sam couldn't believe it; he knew Boyd was always looking to get ahead, but to cover for a CI and even warn a known criminal. He really didn't think he would stoop that low. It was definitely an eye opener and right now Sam wasn't sure if Boyd was incapable of anything. And that scared the shit out of him.

"She'll be okay." Boyd assured him, sensing his anxiety. "He won't do anything stupid."

"It looks like he already has." Sam disputed.

Oliver nodded in agreement. "Call him."

"I've been trying." Boyd admitted. "But he's not answering."

"Then how do you even know…

"He sent a text earlier to say he got out but that's all I got."

"Let me have it." Sam ordered, reaching out the door for the phone; he knew he wouldn't get the whole truth from Boyd and at that point he wondered if he ever had.

When Boyd didn't make any move to hand it over, Sam started to get out.

"Fine." Boyd conceded holding out his cell.

"And get in the damn car." Sam muttered as he grabbed the phone and pushed a couple of buttons.

Boyd slid in beside Sam as Jennings made his way around to the passenger seat.

Following their lead, Oliver dropped into his seat, turned the key, and flipped the car into gear. "What does it say?" He asked, meeting Sam's eyes in the rear view mirror.

If the look on Sam's face was any indication, Oliver wasn't going to like it.

"I got out in time, but had to catch a ride with one of your 'friends'. Have to say, I really like the looks of my insurance policy here. Hope I won't need use it; guess that will be up to you. I'll be in touch."

"If she loses that van, Peck will have my head." Boyd muttered to himself.

Oliver could feel the anger radiating off Sam in waves and he couldn't help but wonder if Boyd had a death wish.


	16. Chapter 16

Okay…I will never say one more chapter ever again, especially not with this story. You'd think I would have learned my lesson by now.

Surprise, surprise…no resolution yet. It is coming but I'm hoping that if I don't say when, it will happen sooner rather than later. Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

><p>If the look on Sam's face was any indication, Oliver wasn't going to like it.<p>

"I got out in time, but had to catch a ride with one of your 'friends'. Have to say, I really like the looks of my insurance policy here. Hope I won't need use it; guess that will be up to you. I'll be in touch."

"If she loses that van, Peck will have my head." Boyd muttered to himself.

Oliver could feel the anger radiating off Sam in waves and he couldn't help but wonder if Boyd had a death wish. _Did he really not realize how close to the brink Sam was? One wrong move and the man had to know he would be picking up parts off the floor. Didn't he?_

Oliver guessed not as he watched the detective try to snatch his phone back from Sam. _Seriously? _

Sam shot him a menacing glare, breaking the look just long enough to hit the redial button before holding the phone next to his ear and resuming his stare. The look in his eyes dared Boyd to just try and take it away from him.

Boyd finally seemed to be wising up as he settled back and left Sam to his own devices. But when the call again went unanswered, both Sam and Oliver could see the 'I told you' on the tip of Boyd's tongue. Oliver could only hope he had enough sense to keep it to himself though. Sam appeared to be on the verge of strangling the detective as Oliver heard him mutter something under his breath about the fricking van and where Boyd could happily park it.

Normally, Oliver would get more of a kick out of the detective's discomfort, but now was not the time. "Sam! We have more important things to worry about."

Boyd looked somewhat relieved and started to nod his thanks when Oliver finished his thought. "You can kill him later…**after** we find out what he knows."

"We're wasting time." Sam growled, as he pounded a text message into the confiscated phone.

"Easy!" Boyd instructed, clearly confusing his priorities once again.

"Just be happy it's the phone and not your face." Oliver retorted shaking his head.

Sam threw the device down onto the seat; he hated feeling useless. He needed something to happen and he needed it to happen soon. "I want that chopper."

"Do you really think that's going to do any good?" Boyd argued. "It's been how long now? Jennings, when did the guy get the drop on you?"

"As soon as McNally called it and he heard the sirens."

"See." Boyd crowed. "So that was what…at least a half hour ago?"

"You'd know the time better than I would." Jennings insisted, after all he had been knocked out for at least half that time.

Boyd checked his watch. "Almost forty minutes now; I doubt the guy's even driving anymore. He's probably already stashed the van and..."

Sam didn't want to hear the rest. "Are you sure you're not just worried it will come out of your budget?" He challenged.

"Sammy."

Sam closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. His voice, though calm, was full of menace. "That's what my 'friends' call me."

Boyd smartly chose to shut his mouth and sit back in his seat again, clearly getting the message: '_And you're not one of them'. _

Oliver decided it was time to become the voice of reason; they needed at least one in the vehicle and there didn't seem to be an abundance of candidates. "He's right _Sammy_; it is probably too late for the chopper, but we still have to get out a BOLO."

Before Sam had a chance to agree, Oliver had already picked up his radio to call dispatch and get everyone on the lookout for the missing van. After a brief internal debate, he also asked them to include Officer McNally in the lookout.

The response was almost immediate but unfortunately it wasn't to report Andy's whereabouts. It was all of her fellow rookies trying to find out why they needed to look for McNally and what the heck was going on.

Sam, though, was paying little attention to Oliver's conversations. His eyes were shooting in every direction as he scanned each street, alleyway, driveway, and parking lot that they passed.

"It's not going to just magically appear you know." Boyd sneered, still smarting from Sam's earlier remark.

Fortunately for him, his grumbling was cut off by Best's booming voice coming over the radio and drowning out everything and everyone else. "Fifteen-nineteen, what's your twenty?"

"Five minutes out sir." Oliver responded.

"My office, five minutes." Best countered, allowing no room for detours.

"We'll just take Sammy…I mean Swarek, to holding while you go see Best then." Boyd offered with false generosity, as if he were doing Shaw a great favor.

"The hell you will." Oliver disputed; there was no way Boyd was going to worm his way out of talking to Best. He made his bed and now he was going to sleep in it, even if Oliver had to drag him in kicking and screaming.

"Fifteen-nineteen?" Frank addressed again, waiting for confirmation of his order.

"War room might be better, sir." Shaw suggested. "I'll have company." He explained, expecting full well that by the time they got there, the Sarge would not be alone either.

"Roger that." Frank agreed, trusting the senior officer's judgment.

* * *

><p>She had one hand on her gun and the other hand on the release. She had just popped the latch and was about to open the door when it fell away in front of her. Her gun may have been in her hand but when she lost purchase on the door, she found herself off balance and it was quickly knocked away.<p>

"Get back in." The man ordered, pushing her back with his own gun to her chest.

Unarmed, she had no choice but to comply. "Get in the driver's seat." He ordered as he followed her through the maze of electronics at the back.

"Where's Jennings?" She demanded.

"Your friend? He's taking a little nap right now, and you and I, we're going for a little drive."

Andy eased her way in behind the wheel as her captor, Nate, maneuvered his way into the passenger seat. The keys were still in the ignition so Andy simply turned the engine over and popped the van into gear. She took a quick look to the left wistfully noting the flashing lights and the bright spotlight that acted like a beacon telling her exactly where Sam was right at this very moment…and he was so close.

…_**they **__were so close. Trust her to get into trouble doing exactly as she was told. Safest place for her…ha! The McNally luck strikes again. She'd probably never hear the end of it; though she didn't know what would be worse, Sam's over protectiveness or Shaw's teasing._

She let out a sigh as she turned the vehicle to the right and added to the unwelcome distance between them. _This was not how this night was supposed to end._

As she approached the entrance gates, she turned to Nate. "Where do you want me to go?"

While he pondered her question, she continued to take quick glances at him trying to take in as much information about him as she could. She was also trying to note anything she could use as a weapon and whether or not there was any way she could switch on the radio without his knowledge.

"I don't care where you go; just drive till I figure it out."

Well if he didn't have any direction in mind, Andy knew where she wanted to be. She passed through the gates and glanced left and right before pulling onto the roadway that would lead her away from the docks and closer to what she hoped would bring safety.

Andy continued her journey without so much as a word; the last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself. She quietly navigated her way closer and closer to the barn and with each passing block she felt the tension easing from her body.

So far, Nate had been distracted by his thinking and his phone as he typed out a quick text message. She leaned over to see if she could see who he was sending it to, but he moved the phone further away and she didn't want to press her luck too far.

When the phone rang, Andy looked over at him but he made no move to answer it. She raised an eyebrow in question, though he ignored that too, choosing instead to stare at the machine as if it might hold the answers to all his questions. Clearly he wasn't used to flying by the seat of his pants. _Not like someone else she knew._

After a few minutes, he lost interest in the phone and started staring out the window to scope out possibilities. Andy immediately sucked in a quiet breath, hoping he wasn't too familiar with the area. But as per usual, luck wasn't with her…well not the good kind anyway.

Nate flipped his head from side to side, quickly taking in the familiar landmarks before shoving the gun into her side. "Nice try sweetheart."

"Hey, you're the one that said you didn't care where I went so…"

"Well, I care now, take your next left. Do it!"

Andy sighed in disappointment as she followed his instructions; she had just spotted the lighted sign of Fifteenth Division, and was now forced to leave it behind. She glanced at her watch realizing that Sam and all of her friends were probably still at the scene and likely had no idea the predicament she had managed to get herself into. No one would be looking for them for awhile and that bothered her more and more the further she got away from the station.

She knew the second they passed from the boundaries of Division Fifteen to those of Twenty-Seven and only hoped that Jennings had found a way to let everyone know what happened.

The phone rang again. "Aren't you going to answer that?" Andy wondered aloud, no longer worried about being discreet.

"It's not important." He dismissed.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "Cause that person seems to think so." She reminded trying once more to get a look at the screen.

"I said it doesn't matter!" He barked before his phone sounded off again; this time though it was an incoming text. _'Answer your damn phone.'_

He scoffed as he read it; there was no way he was taking that call…at least not yet. He needed to think first, figure out what he wanted, how he could get out of this mess. Maybe then he would be ready to talk, but it was going to be on his terms.

As he glanced out the windshield he realized where they were and suddenly knew where they needed to go, somewhere they could hide and give him time to think. He pressed the gun back into Andy's side and gave her directions that took them into an industrial area and up to a warehouse.

Nate knew there was no way he could leave the van outside; if they weren't looking for it by now, they would be soon enough. So when they approached the building, he ordered Andy to stop in the middle of the lane. Pushing her out the driver's side and following immediately behind her, he directed her into a man door at the end of the building.

They had barely made it inside when he jerked her to a stop and pushed a red button on the side of the metal wall. Andy watched as a pulley system squealed into life and began lifting the garage-type door opening them up to the outside. As the gap widened, Andy could see the van directly in front of her and as expected, she was instructed to get back in.

They pulled the van into the warehouse and Andy was about to exit the vehicle when she was ordered to stop.

Although Nate knew he wanted to be here, inside the cover of the building, he still was not sure what to do with his 'insurance'. The warehouse was too big and he liked having her contained to the small van; it gave her less chance to get away. And right now, he needed her; she was his ticket to staying one step ahead, at least that's what he kept telling himself.

Andy watched as Nate inspected the entire van going through every nook, cranny and cubby-hole in the front seat, before proudly brandishing a set of handcuffs. He looked at Andy with a smirk and for a second she worried about what his plans were once he got her into the restraints. Luckily though his plans were simple; he just wanted time to think without having to worry about her escape.

He quickly attached her to the steering column and then exited out the passenger door. He hadn't even made it to the front of the vehicle before realization seemed to dawn on him and he threw the door open once again.

He leaned in to grab the keys out of the ignition. "Just in case you get any ideas." He sneered as he pulled a switchblade from his pocket.

Andy's eyes widened. She hadn't given him any reason to hurt her; she'd done everything he'd asked. And if he wanted to, he could have just shot her. Unless he wanted her to suffer, she thought as the blood drained from her face. She was trying to stay calm, but she had no idea what he was even capable of.

She felt an all consuming relief when all he did was cut the wire to the radio and offer her a satisfied smirk. But she waited for him to shut the door before she allowed herself a moment to relax. She had to stay calm if she was going to get out of this mess; she had to do whatever she could to help them find her…_and they would find her._

She looked at her watch._ They had to know by now that she was missing. But what about Sam? Would they tell him? Would they even be allowed to tell him? And would he be out looking for her? She was pretty sure she knew the answer to that one, well if he had any say about it. But then again she didn't have a lot of faith in Boyd's generosity and he was the one in charge of the op. If it was up to him, he would probably try to keep Sam in the dark. But surely Oliver or Jerry would find a way to tell him. Wouldn't they? Or Traci? _

Andy knew she was totally over thinking it but she couldn't help it.

_She needed Sam. His presence always kept her calm, helped her focus, and made her feel safe, even before they were whatever they are now. He was there when it mattered; he said it himself. And so she knew he would come. Her friends would make sure that he knew and he wouldn't let anything stand in his way, including Boyd. _

_He had made her a promise that night in the club and she was going to make sure he had the chance to keep it. They started something during this undercover and she'd be damned if she was going to give that up without a fight. _

With renewed ambition, Andy watched her captor as he paced back and forth in front of the vehicle periodically meeting her gaze. She studied his movements for quite a while hoping to detect some sort of pattern to his actions so she could adjust her own accordingly. After about fifteen minutes, she thought she could make her move. She waited for his cursory glance before she leaned her head forward to try and remove her earring. Her first attempt ended in vain though as she realized that she could not get her hands close enough for them to work together.

She straightened in her seat waiting for her next opening; it wasn't going to be easy though. She was going to have to remove the back with one hand, while preventing the front from working itself loose and falling to the floor before she could get a hand back on it. Even then she didn't know if she would be able to maneuver herself into a position to use the earring to open the cuffs, but she was going to try.

At her next opportunity, she shifted her body down careful to keep her head tipped as far back as possible to hopefully hold the stud in place. She used her right hand to pull at the back of the earring wiggling it further and further down the stem. She had just managed to get it free when she heard Nate's phone ring once again.

She straightened up as quickly as she could careful to lean her head back; she watched him glance at her before looking at the display on his phone. His eyes widened and she could see him swallow anxiously before he pushed the answer button. She briefly wondered why he suddenly felt inclined to answer.

When she heard him acknowledge the man on the phone with a quick "Boss", she knew why he answered, but she was still confused. _There's no way the Boss should have been free to call him unless something went wrong, but how could that be; they would have had them surrounded. Unless this was his one phone call, but surely to goodness the man would call his lawyer, but then who was calling before?_ Andy's mind was racing a mile a minute as she tried to put all the pieces together; the biggest one falling into place when he addressed the caller by name.

"…Mr. Vicero."

_Holy crap! This guy was pulling double duty. That can't be good._

* * *

><p>Nate had been trying to figure out what to do, not only with the pretty cop but with himself. Could he finagle his way out of this one? He knew he couldn't get arrested again; there's no way he would get off twice and he was already on probation. But now he'd basically kidnapped a cop and he didn't think there was any chance that Boyd could keep this one under wraps even if he did let her go. Though he was surprised how quickly the last charge went away.<p>

It really didn't look good for him staying in Toronto though and while he contemplated where else he could go, his phone rang once again. He looked down preparing to reject Boyd's call once again when a different name flashed on the screen. _Vicero._

Word travelled fast through the underbelly of society and he wondered just how much the man had already found out. He swallowed the lump in his throat and pressed the green button. "Boss."

"_Where the hell are you?"_

"What do you mean?"

"_Everyone knows that when a bust like that goes down, we circle the wagons and take stock."_

"I know, Mr. Vicero…I just…"

"_You just what?"_

"I…uh…"

"_You did hear about the bust right?"_

"Yeah."

"_And you've worked for me for how long?"_

"Three years."

Vicero had been in the business long enough to know when he was getting the runaround. _"Are you coming or not?"_

"I…uh…"

All of the sudden the light went on for Vicero as he remembered the dubious events of the last few weeks. _"Where are you?"_

"I'm…" He looked around trying to figure out how he could answer truthfully without the boss putting it all together.

"_Are you a cop?"_

Nate almost laughed, but he knew that would not be well received. "No!" He answered adamantly.

"_Are you in jail?"_

"No." He answered with a little less force.

"_Are you at the dock?"_

"Nope." He shot back quickly, knowing any hesitation would be a dead giveaway.

"_**Were**__ you at the dock?"_ Vicero tried again.

"I thought maybe someone should keep tabs, maybe..."

"_How did you know?"_

"What?"

"_How did you know?"_

"How did I know what?"

"_You said you're not a cop, but I would bet money that you knew they were coming tonight. I think that's why you made sure we didn't try and go in. So how did you know? Are you in bed with the law? Are you a snitch?"_ Vicero's voice was rising with each accusation_. "That's it; isn't it? That's why our buyers have been a little too popular with the cops lately. It wasn't a fluke; it was YOU." _

Vicero was convinced he was right and he was pissed. _He should have figured it out sooner; he should have known there was a snitch in the ranks when the buyers kept dropping like flies. Shit! This was exactly why he wanted higher up in the food chain; selling singles to flaky buyers was too risky. There were too many people involved and you never knew if or when one of them was going to turn on you. _

When he heard about the bust tonight, he thought he might have gotten his chance to move up, but if the cops had a snitch in his ranks, things were about to get pretty dicey and he didn't like that one bit. Someone was going to have to pay.

"_You're a dead man."_ He vowed, and then he was gone.

* * *

><p>Andy watched the look of sheer panic cross over Nate's face as the phone dropped from his ear; she had only heard snippets of his side of the conversation, but she could easily guess that Vicero was not happy with his answers.<p>

She just didn't know what that meant for her, but she was hoping to find out as she listened attentively to Nate's ramblings. "I have to get out of here. But where do I go? Do I take the cop with me? Do I leave her here? My car…my car is outside; I can just drive away and never look back. But what if Boyd has an APB out on me? Shit! I can't take the car. Maybe I should bring the car in here. But I can't stay…"

Andy's eyes shot to the top of her head as she heard the man mention Boyd. _What the hell was going on here? And who the hell's team was this guy even on?_


	17. Chapter 17

Here you have it...the next installment. Sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoy it.

Special thanks to the international consulting team of mamaverd and Sairs J.

* * *

><p>Frank had barely signed off with Oliver when he picked up movement from the corner of his eye. He looked up just in time to see Callaghan, who had been out on another case, storm in through the back. The detective didn't even bother stopping at his office, choosing instead to head straight to the war room. And following directly in his wake were Nash, Diaz, Williams, Barber, Epstein and Peck.<p>

Frank wasn't really surprised. He was missing a fellow officer; they all were, but they were also missing a friend which made the stakes even higher for them. He shook his head. It was a losing battle and he knew it; there really was no use fighting them. On the plus side, it would also save time, and when someone was missing, every second counted.

Frank lifted himself up from his chair and exited his office to join the rest of the group in the war room to wait for Shaw and whoever he was bringing with him. He was as anxious as the rest were for answers.

_Well…not quite. _The second Frank entered the room, he was bombarded with exclamations and questions for which he had no answers. So he simply held up his hand and shook his head.

The anxious group looked to each other with widened eyes; surely he wouldn't ask them all to leave.

"I know as much as you do, people." He informed as soon as the room quieted. "Now sit down! Might as well save them some time."

With grateful smiles, everyone grabbed a chair. By the time Oliver's car pulled into one of the bays, it looked like parade was about to start; the room was almost full as officer after officer had continued to join them. They may not all have been close friends of McNally, but when one of their own was missing, they were going to do whatever they could to help.

* * *

><p>Oliver pulled into the station garage and immediately exited the vehicle; they were cutting it close with Best as it was and they needed to hurry. The Sarge's mood was only going to get worse and Oliver wasn't about to aggravate that by being any later.<p>

He was already circling behind the cruiser when he noticed Jennings opening Sam's door. _Shit! _He had almost forgotten about the door locks in the back. Just because he was transporting colleagues that didn't change the safety mechanics; they couldn't get out on their own.

He would have loved to just leave Boyd back there like the low life he was, but it was time for him to face the music.

Boyd rolled his eyes when Shaw finally popped the latch for him. "Gee, thanks." He muttered sarcastically before moving around the car to stand in front of Jennings. "Okay, now get Sammy into holding with the rest of them while we…"

The jaws of all three men dropped open in succession; they couldn't believe that Boyd actually thought he was still calling the shots.

Sam was going to set him straight though. "There is **no** **way** in hell you are leaving me in a cell while you..."

"Sammy…" Boyd interjected, backtracking quickly from Sam's glare. "Swarek…I need you in booking and then holding; we have to keep your cover."

Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fists, willing himself not to do what he desperately wanted to do to Boyd. "I told you in the car; I don't give a damn what you…"

"Well that's too fricking bad, Swarek!" Boyd barked back. "I'm the one in charge here and one of us has to think with our brains so…"

_Oh no he didn't. _ Oliver and Jennings didn't hesitate for a second and quickly jumped in between the two men, each facing their respective co-worker.

Past wondering if Boyd was really that clueless, Oliver looked Sam in the eye and silently begged him to keep his cool.

Sam ran his hand through his hair and expelled a loud breath. If there was any way he could have done it without involving Oliver, he probably would have gone after Boyd but he knew his friend wasn't going to let him. Plus, there were more important matters at hand and there was no way Boyd was getting in the way of them.

Jennings just shook his head at his boss; he always knew the man was crass but this had to be an all time and hopefully uncharacteristic low. Though after the last half hour, he was really starting to wonder.

"What's your guy's name?" Jennings inquired, choosing to get straight to business and sidestep the elephant.

"Nate, Nate Foster."

Jennings wrote it in his note pad. "Cell number?"

"416…wait why?"

"I'm going to go talk to tech. You don't need me in there right away; I'll come as soon as I can. I already told you what I know and I'll be more help out here getting things moving. If your guy gets on the phone, we need to know about it."

"I told you he's not answering." Boyd reminded him.

"Not for you he isn't." Jennings retorted.

Sam smirked as Boyd finished giving the number. Sam was starting to like Jennings. He didn't let his boss' bias affect his work and that made him alright in Sam's books. Plus, he was doing whatever he could to help get Andy back and that, well that made him an ally.

Jennings jotted down the number quickly anxious to get things going. He had to admit that he had been upset with McNally…at first. But now that he knew the whole story, at least one side of it, he knew that his blame was misdirected and now he just wanted to help get her back. He turned from Boyd to Sam with his pen still at the ready. "McNally's cell number?"

Sam looked at him curiously.

Jennings shrugged. "Same reason. If she gets on her phone…or someone tries to use it, we need to know."

Sam shook his head quickly. "If McNally can use her phone, she'll just call…shit!"

"What?"

He turned to Oliver. "We have to go to my place to get my cell phone; she'll call me. She'll call **me**. It's on my side table at home; we have to go get it."

Jennings gave Oliver a quiet nod and retreated into the building; they both knew it was going to be quicker for him to just get the number out of the system.

Oliver placed a calming hand on Sam's shoulder. "Sammy, she knows you were undercover; she won't be calling you."

"But what if all she can manage is speed dial?"

Oliver ignored Boyd's intentionally loud scoff. "Then she'll try Nash."

"I still think someone should get my phone, just in case."

Shaw knew his friend was grasping at straws but he also knew how much Sam hated feeling helpless; he just needed to do be doing something.

"We'll get your keys after the meeting and…"

"That's not soon enough." Sam insisted. "Send Epstein."

Oliver tilted his head to the side and readied his 'patient father' voice; they weren't the only ones who would feel the need to find her. "I don't think Epstein is going to be leaving the station to go anywhere but after McNally. He's her friend too."

Sam knew that; he did. But he was also more than certain that she couldn't mean as much to anyone there as she did to him.

"Fine." He conceded. "Give me your phone then."

Shaw reached into his pocket and reluctantly produced the cell. "What are you doing?" He queried, as the bright blue contraption was plucked from his hand.

"Call forwarding." Sam responded as if it should have been obvious.

Oliver raised his eyebrows.

"What?" Sam responded. "I'm not completely techno illiterate."

That was a debate for another time. "Are you ready?"

Sam held his hands out in front of his body so Oliver could retrieve his phone and snap the cuffs back on.

"Show time." Oliver announced before gesturing for Boyd to lead the way.

Boyd took this as his last chance to try and convince Sam to stay in holding. He glanced back over his shoulder. "Come on, Samm…Swa…think about it; just sit tight here for a bit and we'll get you out as soon as we can. Shaw will…"

Pausing to turn and open the door to booking, Boyd guided Sam through the opening and gave him the opportunity he was looking for. Shaw said it was time to put on a show so Sam was going to take full advantage and put all his frustration to good use.

Sam immediately slammed Boyd against the partially open door, before pressing his full body weight against the detective to hold him there. With his face just inches from Boyd's, he looked him square in the eye. "Go to hell, asshole! I don't take orders from you!"

The main holding cell was completely full as they hadn't had a chance to process everyone yet and the sound of the door slamming against the wall had everyone's full attention. Eyes widened as they took in the scene playing out before them.

Shaw started to pull Sam off of Boyd. His heart definitely wasn't in it though and his loose grip allowed Sam to slam into Boyd one more time and he smirked at the satisfying grunt that came out of the detective's mouth.

"Easy, buddy." Oliver instructed, as he reluctantly guided Sam away. His point had been made.

The grimace on Boyd's face continued to grow. Swarek was taking liberties with his animosity towards him and Shaw wasn't doing a damn thing to rein him in. Those shoves were none too gentle and when Swarek tried to jerk away and lunge at him again, Boyd was really starting to get pissed off.

"Those cuffs on your wrists tell a different story, tough guy. I think we both know who's in charge here and it's time you learned your place." Boyd spat back.

Sam shook his head and steeled his glare. "You have no idea."

"Easy, Sammy." Vic coaxed; he had been watching the whole scene play out like a tennis match, back and forth. But he didn't want to see his friend get into any more trouble than they were already in.

"Put him in here." Vic offered. "Let me talk to him."

Sam couldn't help but let down his guard a little; Vic really was a decent guy. But before Sam could respond, Oliver started pulling him through another door. "Actually, I think he needs to be alone for a while."

When Boyd didn't follow immediately behind, Oliver propped the door open again. "Detective, I believe we have a meeting to get to."

Boyd's face was a mask of confusion; once Sam was somewhat subdued he had a chance to really look around. There had to be at least eight guys still in the cell and only two guys working the desk. There should have been at least four people in there pushing these guys through. And where was the backup team; he would have expected a few of them to be hanging around too.

He looked over to the desk to an officer who seemed to be in no particular hurry. "Where is everyone?"

"You'll see." The man answered cryptically. He was a little bitter that everyone else was where he wanted to be, but someone had to process these idiots. What he didn't realize was just how much it was going to blindside the detective when he finally did 'see'.

Boyd furrowed his brow recognizing that was all he was going to get. He shook his head and proceeded to the open door to follow Shaw and Swarek.

The door had barely closed behind him when he saw Oliver pulling the cuffs from Sam. The dark haired man held Boyd's gaze as he lifted his arms to rub at his wrists and Boyd could tell he was considering putting his hands to good use.

Boyd cleared his throat and pushed past him. "Let's get this over with."

He knew he was pushing his luck when he heard Swarek's loud huff, but he would feel safer in front of Best. Boyd started to smirk as he neared the war room and what he thought would be a reprieve; Sam would be forced to keep his distance now.

Still thinking he could talk his way out of it, his grin held as he turned in through the door but he didn't look up till he was two steps into the room. When he finally did, the smirk was wiped clean off his face. He could not believe how many people were in there and for the first time he doubted that he was going to be able to sweep this dirt under the rug. It's not easy to cover your ass when there are eyes looking at you from every direction.

Boyd gulped audibly. He saw the look of ire on Best's face, but it quickly turned to confusion when the other two men entered the room. The answer probably should have been obvious had he given it any thought, but all Best could think of at the moment was protocol. "Swarek, what are you doing here?"

He turned back to Boyd. "Shouldn't you have him in booking with the rest of them?"

Boyd was more than happy to share the spotlight and had no problems trying to throw Sam under the bus. _Better him than me._

"I told him to go, but you should know better than anyone that you can't tell Swarek anything. He's going to…"

"Sit down!" Shaw ordered the detective before he could shift the blame any further.

Everyone including Frank was surprised by Oliver's show of authority, but they also knew he didn't act like this without cause. He knew something that they didn't and they were more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"What do we know?" Frank asked.

Oliver slid seamlessly into the position of power and began, with Sam taking up residence on the side of a table at the front. "Okay, as you all know, McNally was in the can with Jennings watching the monitors. When the money changed hands, Jennings was going to call it."

"Apparently a few minutes before the exchange took place, they had an incident in the van." Oliver held up his hand to silence the grumblings that had started to move through the crowd. "They made more noise than planned and apparently one of Sammy's guys heard it and came over to investigate."

Still anxious to shift the blame, Boyd started to gripe loud enough for everyone to hear. "I should have known **that Rookie **would screw…"

Sam's jaw started to clench and at least a half dozen bodies shadowed his movement when he rose from his perch. Frank's hand on Sam's shoulder had him holding his ground, but not his tongue. "_That_ _rookie_? Her name is Officer McNally, and she…"

"Did nothing wrong." Jennings finished as he walked into the room. "It was my fault; it was my headset that hit the side wall and caused the breach."

Boyd continued to mumble under his breath about her bad luck and how she had to have something to do with it. Sam was ready to shut the man up, and he wasn't alone. There were matching scowls on the faces of Chris, Dov, Traci, actually pretty much everyone in the room who was more concerned about getting McNally back then placing blame.

Jennings continued raising his voice in an attempt to drown out Boyd's passive-aggressive barbs. "We didn't realize anyone had heard until some guy started peering in the windows. When he started pounding on the door, we had to do something so I went outside to talk to the guy."

"I left McNally in the van to call it, **which she did.**" He stressed looking directly at Boyd who had finally shut his mouth.

"I didn't have my gun out when I first started talking to the guy; I was hoping to just throw him off. I almost had him convinced that I was just a squatter, but when he heard the sirens, I think he must have panicked. Next thing I know, I'm waking up beside an empty parking spot with a bump on the back of my head. I walked down to the bust and they were loading everyone into the squads, and that's when I found out that McNally wasn't there either."

Jennings felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out to look at the screen. "I'll be back." He announced before high tailing it out the door.

"What is it?"

"We may have a hit on the phone." He called back from the door.

"Which one?" Sam muttered mostly to himself as Jennings was already halfway down the hall.

Frank was nodding his head and you could see the wheels turning as he mulled over what had so far been disclosed. "Okay. So I understand how this guy could have gotten the jump on him, but…" and he turned to Boyd. "How come you weren't looking for him? Swarek's mike told us how many guys he had with him? How come we didn't know one was missing?"

When Boyd didn't answer right away, Frank shifted his focus to Sam and Oliver waiting for someone to give him an answer.

Oliver spoke first. "Go on, Boyd, tell him. You keep saying you're the one in charge here."

"Fine." Boyd relented without rising from his seat. "I wasn't looking for the guy because I wasn't going to bring him in."

The stunned silence lasted for only a few seconds before being broken by shared exclamations of 'What the hell?' and 'What do you mean you weren't bringing him in?'

"Please." Best implored, holding up his hand to try and restore some order. "Boyd?"

"He was my CI alright?" Boyd admitted sheepishly.

Frank erupted. "What the hell did you need a CI for when you had Swarek in deep?"

"Did you know about this?" He directed at Sam.

"Nope!" Sam responded, loudly popping on the 'p'. "Just found out tonight."

Best refocused on the detective. "Well?''

"I didn't _need_ a CI in there; it just happened okay?"

"It just happened? It just happened?" Best's voice was getting louder with each question. "How the hell does it _just happen? _What kind of operation are you running here? Things aren't supposed to just happen; you're supposed to be in control here Boyd!"

"Relax, alright. I did have everything under control; he was supposed to get out of there as soon as it started going down. We had it all planned; things just went a little…sideways."

"A little sideways?" Sam scoffed.

"I don't call kidnapping an officer a _little_ sideways." Best agreed.

"He didn't kidnap her. He just…caught a ride." Boyd suggested sheepishly.

"Bull shit!" Sam screamed, rising to his feet. "You screwed up! Why the hell can't you just admit it?"

Boyd stood at the challenge. "I'll tell you what screwed everything up; the second that roo…"

He stopped short when he found himself face to face with a very irate Sam. "Go on! Keep going! Just give me a reason!"

"Enough!" Best shouted.

"Are you kidding me? He deserves every…"

"Just…we need to calm down for a second here and get to the bottom of this. We're wasting time Sam, you know the first few hours are critical."

Sam did know this; it was just hard to remember all of his training when Andy was the one missing. He backed off…for the moment…conceding that Boyd would have to wait to get his.

"Okay, so who is this guy?" Best asked, getting back to the task at hand.

Boyd paused for a second trying to order his thoughts to put himself in the best possible light. "He was a CI for another gang and it had nothing to do with Swarek's UC."

"Ha!"

Frank was surprised by the outburst, but only because it came from Oliver and not Sam. He furrowed his brow but didn't get a chance to voice his question before Boyd continued.

"He was just playing lookout for one night, and I found out late in the game. He's helped me out a lot and I didn't want to lose him over a little security detail so I may have let it slip that he should make himself scarce before it all went down."

"How'd you find out?" Luke asked.

"What?" Boyd feigned ignorance.

"How did you find out he would be there?" He wondered.

"I…uh…I…"

"Yes, Boyd, tell us." Sam insisted in a sickeningly sweet voice.

With a quick glare in Sam's direction, Boyd formulated another guarded response. "I called him about his other gang and it slipped out. He didn't think it had anything to do with me so he wasn't going to say anything, but when I found out, I made a decision. I needed his intel on the other gang so I had to protect him. And now he owes me one so..."

"Yeah, you protected him alright." Oliver muttered.

"You got something to say Shaw." Boyd challenged, though he would soon wish he hadn't.

"Yeah, I do. That's a really pretty picture you're trying to paint here but we both know it's a bunch of garbage."

Before Boyd could respond, Oliver took the floor back and addressed the group again. "This guy, Nate, is from Vicero's gang."

Encouraged by the recognition from the crowd he continued. "That's right. Boyd had an in to Vicero's crew for a month now and when he had the chance to pull Vicero into this bust and get them all tonight, he _decided _ that he didn't want to. He warned his CI and told him not to let Vicero come tonight."

"We didn't have enough on him." Boyd insisted.

"Bull shit! You and I both know that between your CI and the rest of the guys we would have taken in we would have been able to scrounge up enough. Someone would have flipped. I can only imagine how you got the CI to talk to you in the first place. What was it you told us? 'He offered me an in with Vicero if I found a way to make his arrest go away; it wasn't hard.'"

"Don't go all high and mighty on me Shaw." Boyd warned before turning to the jury before him. "And don't pretend that I'm the first one here to let someone off to catch a bigger fish."

"Yeah…petty thieves, hookers maybe, but not an arms dealer." Shaw argued.

"Drop the drama queen act. He's not an arms dealer; he's low man on the totem pole. Sells a few guns here and there, maybe security from time to time, but he isn't dangerous."

"So what was he arrested for then?" Nash asked skeptically; like everyone else, she felt like Boyd was holding back.

"He wasn't arrested." Boyd insisted, still maintaining the ruse they had set up months ago.

Traci rolled her eyes. "What was he _brought in_ for then?"

Boyd mumbled the answer inaudibly before being called out by someone from the back.

His ire back up, Boyd squared his shoulders and met the crowd's eyes. "Assault with a weapon."

Sam sprang to his feet, upon hearing this for the first time. "What the hell?"

It took three guys to hold him back, but from the looks on their faces, they would have been more than willing to join him in his assault.

"So how'd you do it?" Dov asked. "How do you make something like that just go away?

Boyd shrugged his shoulders this time, almost nonchalant. "The other guy wasn't an angel either so we…settled out of court."

Jerry stood up. "Okay so we have a BOLO out on the van and McNally; what about this guy? Nate, was it? We got anything on him? Home?"

"He own a car? You got a license number?" Jerry wondered.

Everyone's eyes were drawn away from Jerry and his question when Sam stood from his seat and walked purposefully towards the door. He had just remembered that they had all met at the warehouse. If this guy wanted his car, he would have to go back there to get it. It was as good a place as any to start.

"Swarek!" Frank called to no avail.

"Swarek!" He tried again, the threat evident in his tone.

Sam turned back.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I know where he parked his car." Sam responded before turning to walk away again.

"Swarek! Sam!"

"I have to go!" Sam contested, trying to brush off the hand that Jerry had just placed on him.

"We all want to save her, Sammy."

"I have to go alone."

"No way!"

Sam shook his head. "I mean I have to go in alone first. I can make him think I got away too. See where Andy is, maybe talk him down."

Boyd disagreed. "No. No way. He has to stay here. If word gets out…"

"If word gets out, what? They'll know I'm a cop? Maybe they'll just think you let me go too? When will you realize that I don't give a shit about any of that?" Sam turned to Frank, almost pleading. "I'm her best chance. We can't go in half cocked or he could lose it, hurt her; at least this way, I can assess the situation. Call it if we need to."

Boyd shook his head. "You don't even know if he's going for his car; we can just send a unit by and see if it's still there. If it is, they can move in and take a look, and then stake it out if they have to."

"I don't care if he's there or not; that's where we start. Who's coming with me?"

The entire room with the exception of Boyd stood up.

Frank looked at Boyd. "I think you and I need to talk anyway. As for the rest of you, I need some of you on the streets. Shaw, pick your team…"

Sam didn't like the idea of being passed over and he shot Frank a glare; he wanted to call the shots.

"Swarek, you're too close and…you'll be going inside so…"

Sam smirked. _Yes._

"Shaw, you're in charge. Grab your team and get out there. Everyone else, back on the streets. You'll know soon enough."

* * *

><p>Jennings was snaking his way back through the bullpen when he saw the mass exit from the war room. Breaking into a half run, he yelled out. "Hold up! We got a trace."<p>

"The warehouse?" Sam presumed without breaking stride.

"How did you know?"

"I swear it's like a sixth sense with him." Chris explained.

"No, no…more like a compass." Dov threw in. "…with a big M on the top."

Chris chuckled. "Yeah, forget North; he just points towards McNally."

Dov was grinning and nodding excitedly. "Hey, have you ever noticed that when he gets real close to h…"

Sam stopped short, directing the full force of his trademark glare onto the two rookies. "One more word and you two stay here."

With a nod of assent, Chris wisely swallowed the automatic 'yes sir' that was on the tip of his tongue.

Dov simply waited for the senior officer to resume his course before calling his bluff and turning to Gail who had fallen into step beside him. "You know what I mean? You've seen it."

"Yeah. Sure." Gail agreed snidely. "Kind of like how _your_ needle is twitching right now just being this close to Swarek in action."

* * *

><p>Andy's eyes shot to the top of her head as she heard the man mention Boyd. <em>What the hell was going on here? And who the hell's team was this guy even on?<em>

The guy appeared to be working for Sam's boss, was apparently in tight with Vicero and now he knew Boyd too. Andy's head was swimming; if she wasn't over thinking things before, she certainly was at this point. But she couldn't afford the luxury right now and she forced herself to focus. Whoever this guy worked for or in this case was most loyal to wasn't important. She just needed to get out of there before she found out who had the biggest grudge against him.

She watched him walk past the side window barely giving her a glance; he was in his own world now. He moved towards the door they came in and made sure it was locked; he obviously didn't want anyone sneaking in on him. She listened as his footsteps echoed throughout the building; he was clearly checking any and all entrances to make sure they were secure.

As the footsteps closed in on her, she couldn't help but wonder how she was going to factor into his plans. It didn't look like he was going to be sharing anytime soon though because she thought she heard the sound of a metal chair and a loud sigh. _Had he sat down?_

She was glad that he had left her alone, but unfortunately, now that she couldn't see him, she had no idea how much time she actually had to work on her escape. She was going to have to take her chances though because she didn't know if or when she would get another one.

It was now or never. Andy shifted her body around and plucked the now loose earring from her ear. With a quick glance through all the windows she contorted her body to try and reach the key hole of the cuffs.

She tried coming at it from one side, but couldn't find a way to maneuver her ad hoc pick close enough to the locking mechanism. She finally tried lifting herself almost off the seat, raising her left elbow high in the air and almost mirroring it with her right elbow. Her face was practically planted against the steering wheel and she knew she would have to be careful not to hit the horn.

She paused for a second. _Or should she hit the horn; it would definitely draw some attention. But would someone come in time. Probably not. _

Deciding that the cuffs were still her best bet, Andy had her face so close to the wheel that it was hard to get a good look in the mechanism. With her body contorted like a circus performer, she huffed out a quick breath. If her life wasn't on the line, this would almost be comical. She could just see the looks on her friends' faces if they caught her in this position. _Focus, Andy._

With her wrist bent almost double, Andy slid the stem of the earring into the hole in the cuffs. She wasn't sure how much further she could reach, and so far she hadn't hit the catch. She continued to shift the pick around hoping to find a way to get it in deeper.

_Just a little further, she had to be close. There. Shoot. She lost it._ For a second, she had felt what she needed but the earring had slid in her hand. She reset herself and started moving it around again, wholly absorbed in the task at hand.

With a single-minded determination, she became completely oblivious to anything outside the small confines of her makeshift prison, tuning out anything and everything…until the silence of the warehouse was shattered by an earsplitting _**bang**_.

Andy recoiled into her seat, freezing for just a second before her training kicked in. Her eyes scanned every inch in her field of vision desperately trying to discover where the threat was coming from.

But before she could find the source, three more bangs reverberated off the walls and shook the van and Andy to her very core. _Where the hell was it coming from?_

_She needed to get out of there…now!_

She took a deep, calming breath and rolled her shoulders; she had to relax. There was no way she was going to pick the lock and get out of there if her hands were shaking. She refused to buckle under the pressure though so she closed her eyes, inhaled and exhaled once more before spinning the base of the earring between her thumb and forefinger. She lowered her head and shifted her body around ready to give it another go.

She opened her eyes and sighed. It was too late; the pressure had already taken its toll. The earring had been snapped in two and it was now completely useless.

_Damn it! Now what?_


	18. Chapter 18

Another long wait...sorry. And it's a long chapter too.

There are a number of POV changes and some repetition as we see the scene unfold from the different viewpoints. I hope it's not too hard to follow though; I tried to mark them all with delineations.

Thanks for sticking with the story and I hope you enjoy.

To mamaverd and SairsJ, your help is always appreciated.

* * *

><p>The earring had been snapped in two and it was now completely useless. Andy really had no idea what she was going to do now, but before she could give much thought to the danger, she heard yelling from the other side of the door. Well, at least now she knew her captor's name.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>You're a dead man."<em>

The words had echoed over and over in Nate's head as his hand fell limply to his side. _What was he going to do now?_

He couldn't think straight. His thoughts were all over the place; he started mumbling trying to talk it out. "I have to get out of here. But where do I go? Do I take the cop with me? Do I leave her here? My car…my car is outside; I can just drive away and never look back. But what if Boyd has an APB out on me? Shit! I can't take the car. Maybe I should bring the car in here. But I can't stay…"

_He needed to think; he needed to…he didn't know what he needed to do. No, that wasn't true. He knew that he needed to make sure no one could get in while he figured out what he was **going** to do. _He slid over to the door they came in and made sure it was locked. He took a quick look around and noticed just how big the warehouse was; there were at least three other entrances that someone could get in through.

Methodically, he made his way around the building checking every door at least twice to make sure it was locked. There was even a small window in the office that he felt the need to close and secure.

Once he was confident that for the time being he was safe, he returned to the van; though he walked right by it without even a cursory glance. That was the one thing he was confident about; he had cuffed her to the steering column and she wouldn't be going anywhere until he decided.

Now he just needed to decide if and when that would happen. He pulled up one of the grey chairs and flopped down into it, a loud sigh escaping his lips when he settled against the cold metal. He started running through all the options in his head: where he could go, how he could get there, if he could do it alone, what he should he do with the girl. He could hear her rummaging around but she wasn't going anywhere.

He didn't have to sit there long to realize that no plan was going to be perfect. He just had to make up his mind…and he did. He was getting out of there and he would leave her behind; they would find her eventually. If they had all of the gang locked up, they would probably be showing up for evidence at some point. He didn't know exactly how it all worked but he was pretty sure tonight would be all about questioning, and it wouldn't take them long after that to come here. _She would be fine._

He was in big enough trouble as it was and if he kidnapped a cop, well technically he already had, but if he continued to hold her or hurt her he knew they would never stop trying to track him down. And Vicero, well he figured Vicero would eventually just forget about him. He didn't think he had put too much of a dent in his business so he was pretty sure he wouldn't chase him across Canada. He could only hope that he was right though.

At finally having made up his mind, Nate took in a deep breath, enjoying the solitude of the large empty building. _He was leaving and he was going to take his car, just far enough and then he'd abandon it. But hang on, the other guys' cars are out there too and they wouldn't miss them; they probably wouldn't get out for a long time. If he took one of theirs…this just might work._

A smirk slowly spread across his face, but it was instantly wiped clear when the silence of the room was shattered by a loud bang that seemed to bounce off the walls in every direction.

He jumped to his feet; flipping his head every which way. _Shit! Shit! Shit!_

_Now what? Now what?_

Before he could make any kind of decision on which way to move, three more bangs resounded off the walls.

_Someone was there! Someone was there! He had to get out! He had to make a run for it._

As he prepared to launch his body towards the farthest exit, a voice stopped him cold. "Nate! You in there? Nate?"

He let out the breath he had been holding and ran to the entrance they had come in. "Jace?" He inquired through the thick metal.

"Yeah, it's me; let me in."

Nate threw the door open, grabbed his friend by the front of his jacket, and yanked him through. He stuck his head out the opening and quickly turned from side to side. Everything else seemed quiet and he let out another breath before pulling back in and securing the entry once again.

"You're a dead man." Jace blurted before Nate even had a chance to turn around.

He didn't like it any more the second time he heard it and if it had been anyone else saying it he would have been more frightened, but Jace owed him. "I know." He agreed with a slow nod, finally moving to face his friend.

"What the hell were you thinking man?"

"Wait. How did you know I was here?"

"Word on the street is that you crossed Vicero." Jace explained.

But that didn't answer Nate's question. He furrowed his brow, tucked his chin in, and turned his palms out in silent question.

"You told me where you were going to meet for the job and I took a chance. I saw your car but I really didn't think you'd still be here. You gotta get out of here man. Take your car and get as far away as you can. You stay much longer and…"

"I know; I just gotta figure out the best way."

"Forget the best way." Jace disputed. "You need to find the fastest way."

Nate nodded and furrowed his brow again when he saw the look on his friend's face. "What?"

It was obvious Jace didn't want to ask but his curiosity got the better of him. "Is it true? You in with the cops?" Jace had spent the better part of the way over there convincing himself that it wasn't, but from the expression on Nate's face he knew it was true.

And Nate realized there was no point in denying it. "Remember when they hauled me in about a month ago?"

"Yeah, I thought for sure they'd throw your ass back in jail."

"Yeah, well, I was this close." He held up his thumb and forefinger. "I was looking at hard time so I did the only thing I could do…I made a deal. The guy was actually pretty cool; I just had to feed him some info on some deals and he let me slide."

"Weren't you scared, man? You know what happens to snitches."

"I know, but I had no choice; I couldn't do time again. Do you think maybe…?"

"I'm sorry man, but I gotta get out of here. I really don't want to be here when Vicero's guys show up."

"Do they know I'm here?"

"I don't know man, but they know that you were with the crew that hangs out here so it's only a matter of time before they check it out. But listen, it's not just them. I hate to tell you this but Vicero said anyone who brought you in dead or alive would be paid…**anyone**. Right now you can bet every low life in the city is looking for you. He wants you bad, man. Does anyone else know what kind of car you have?"

"Yeah." Nate admitted reluctantly. "They've all seen me drive it."

"You really gotta get out of here."

"I will. Listen can you do me a favor?"

"No way, buddy. I'm pretty sure my debt is paid in full right now."

"Come on man, please."

As much as Jace wanted to say no, he couldn't forget that Nate had saved his life. "What is it?"

"Take this van and get rid of it."

"Why can't you just leave it here?"

"I…um…I just think it might buy me a little time."

Jace walked over to the van, briefly considering what Nate had suggested. There was really nothing remarkable about it; it shouldn't draw any attention. His eyes widened though when he made out a figure through the darkened glass; his head whipped back to Nate. "Who the hell is that?"

* * *

><p>Andy had watched as Nate threw open the door, and yanked some guy in practically by the scruff of his neck. He obviously knew him and she breathed a sigh of relief as any immediate threat seemed to be gone.<p>

They were too far from the van for her to really hear them so she tried to read their lips. An errant thought about taking a course crossed her mind but now was not the time to dwell on it.

She heard only bits and pieces of their conversation when their voices got a little heated, but from what she could tell, this guy came to warn Nate about something and for that she was thankful. She wasn't sure what would happen if he discovered her though and she wondered if Nate would tell him.

She still needed to figure out a way out of there. The key to the cuffs was deep in her lower left pocket and of no use. Her phone was generally in there too, but she had been exchanging random texts with Traci while they waited for the bust to go down.

She glanced back behind her and sure enough her phone was still sitting on the small counter beside the surveillance equipment. She would have thought it would have fallen down during the ride but it looked like it had lodged itself in between a couple of monitors. She wondered if she could stretch her body back to reach it with a foot and work it towards her. She hadn't locked it since she was texting so she could possibly hit the speed dial if she could get it close enough.

She had just lifted her lower body from the seat when she caught movement from the corner of her eye. Her eyebrows shot to the top of her head as she dropped quickly back down in her seat, so far Nate had seemed harmless but she still worried about what he might do if things got too out of hand.

Instead of Nate, she met the stare of the new guest; she caught the surprise in his face before he turned immediately away. She waited for a second and sure enough, he turned back to study her once more before he walked away. I guess she would soon find out what he thought about her being here.

She rose up again and looked towards her phone. It wasn't going to be easy and she was going to have to concentrate, but she had to try; she had no idea if help was on the way so right now she was her own best bet.

Andy began to commend herself for all the hours she spent in the gym as she knew the strength in her stomach would come in handy. Just like the planks she did with every workout, she would have to support her body with her arms and hold herself up using her stomach; unfortunately though it was going to take more than strength.

It wasn't easy, but with a little discomfort, she was able to work her body so she was supporting herself on one leg and stretching out the other behind her but it was just no use. She just couldn't get close enough.

With a sigh of defeat, she wriggled herself back into her seat and listened again as the warehouse door opened and shut. The new guy must have left because when the door opened to the van, it was just Nate. She looked up at him expectantly; she didn't know what he was planning but she was hoping to at least find out.

* * *

><p>"She came with the van." Nate had offered, trying to maintain his forced nonchalance.<p>

"What the hell did you do?"

"I needed to get out fast so I took the van and she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

He turned back and pressed his face against the glass to study Andy through the window. "Are those cuffs? Where'd you get the cuffs?"

"They came with the van too." Nate admitted sheepishly.

It didn't take long for Jake to put the pieces together. "She's a cop?"

Nate nodded.

"No way! Nice try buddy, but every pig in town is gonna be looking for that. I am not going down for grabbing a cop."

"Maybe we could move her to one of the other cars and you could just take her with you; I can wire one up for you."

"Sure and then all these guys are after me too."

"I don't think they'll be worrying about their cars anytime soon; besides you just need to find a place to dump it…and her too."

"Dump?" He screeched, frantically shaking his head. "I'm no killer man! And I ain't drivin' around with no dead body either if that's what you're thinking."

Nate knew he was in enough trouble already; he wasn't going to add murder to that list. That would just be the final nail in his coffin. If he did that, he was pretty sure he could add every cop in the city to the list of people who wanted him dead. "I just want you to drop her off somewhere; that's it. She'll call for help and I'll be anywhere but there."

"No way, man." There was no way Jace was agreeing to that.

"Fine, I'll figure out what to do with her. But can you at least take my car? I know you don't have any wheels; I know you walked here. It'll get you away faster; just drive it to the other side of town and drop it somewhere maybe give me a chance to get away." He was practically begging. "I'll owe you."

"You're damn right you will." Jace insisted loudly. "I just hope you'll be alive for me to collect."

As Nate handed him the keys, Jace pulled him into a brief man-hug. "Good luck man."

"Yeah. You too."

* * *

><p>Sam was a man on a mission and he was already opening the door to fifteen-nineteen when the full group reached the garage.<p>

"Hold on, Sammy!" Oliver instructed halting his progress into the vehicle.

"Okay, Nash and Barber, Diaz and Epstein, Peck you're with Jennings and Sammy is with me. Everyone, handhelds to Channel four, but keep the car radio on dispatch just in case. We need to hear everything. Follow our lead."

And then he ended with, "Sammy, I'm driving."

Oliver knew what would come next so he purposely avoided meeting Sam's eyes. He had seen the glare way to many times for it to be effective anyway and Sam knew that too.

With a shake of his head, Sam slammed the door and stalked around to the passenger side, while Oliver slid seamlessly over to the driver's side.

"What are you waiting for?" Sam yelled, throwing his hands out to the group that was still standing around waiting for the inevitable backlash.

Without a word, they bolted for their cars and by the time Oliver and Sam emerged from the bay, the convoy was able to take off right behind them. With sirens and lights flashing, Sam directed them all towards the warehouse.

It didn't take long for them to pass the boundary from Fifteen Division into Twenty Seven and it didn't go unnoticed. Shaw's handheld radio crackled to life.

"Sirs?" Diaz called. "Um…we're not in Fifteen anymore; are you sure…"

Before Chris could get any more out, Sam had yanked the handheld from Oliver's belt; he was still dressed as his UC persona and in his haste, hadn't bothered to grab one of his own. "If you...any of you...are concerned about crossing a line, you should probably head back now."

Oliver's eyes flashed over to Sam. It was obvious that nothing or no one was getting in his way when it came to saving Andy.

And in every other vehicle, two sets of eyes locked onto one another in silent understanding. Sam's warning had nothing to do with divisional boundaries and it was decision time. Were they prepared to back him up and do whatever it took to get Andy back even if it meant coloring outside the lines? _You're damn right!_

Before anyone could confirm their commitment, Jennings spoke. "I'm gonna call dispatch; just to let them know where we're headed and have them send a couple of units to meet us at the warehouse. Don't want to step on any toes."

Although Chris appreciated the gesture, Sam just rolled his eyes. He didn't give a damn about boundaries or stepping on toes; he just wanted Andy back safe and he needed to know that everyone was committed one hundred percent. Screw the manual.

While Jennings was on the phone with dispatch, a call came over the radio; EMS was dispatching fire trucks to a vehicle fire about five minutes from the warehouse. The vehicle appeared to be empty but witnesses reported seeing two people running from the scene. Two units were requested to head to the scene immediately.

Everyone was thinking the same thing: _could it be them?_

* * *

><p>Jace had pulled away from the warehouse without looking back. He wanted to get as far away from Nate as he could; he really didn't hold out a lot of hope for his friend. But at least he could live his life knowing he had warned him; he owed him that much. Still, he couldn't help but think that this may have been the stupidest thing he had ever done.<p>

His mind wandered as he made his way further from the warehouse. He had no idea how many people knew what Nate drove and he was getting more and more uncomfortable with every passing block. It didn't take him long to decide that he had pressed his luck far enough; he was just going to dump it, walk away, and forget everything.

He was paused at a red light when he spotted a large shopping centre parking lot next to a bus stop. He checked his watch; there were a few buses that ran this early but he had no idea if this route was one of them. It didn't matter; he was going to leave the car there and hop the next one home. If someone showed up to check out the car, he could just walk away and no one would be the wiser. _It would have to do. _

There weren't a lot of people out on the streets at this time of the morning so Jace flipped on his signal light and easily slid over into the turning lane. But he didn't have a chance to pull out when the light turned green because his door was flung open and he was jerked from the vehicle. He had taken at least three punches before he even knew what hit him.

He finally started fighting back and yelled for them to take the car assuming it was a carjacking. But when the two guys started talking about whether or not to take him back to Vicero, he realized they thought he was Nate.

"You got the wrong guy!"

"Nice try buddy. We've seen this car before."

"I took it man. I know him alright? I was going to call him and tell him I have it, see if I could trap him."

The guys stopped beating him up for a second contemplating the possible truth of his words. The two thugs turned to each other. "You remember what this Nate dude looks like?"

Neither one of them was sure nor did they want to be the idiots who brought in the wrong guy so they let Jace pull out his wallet and show them his ID.

Giving little thought to the accessibility of fake ID, they took Jace on his word and warned him to get the hell out of there. He didn't have to be told twice. As a bus came into view, he ran towards the stop, not once looking back.

When he was safely on the bus, he dropped into the first seat he came to and let out the breath he had been holding. Chancing a peek, he saw the car go up in flames and the two punks run off in the direction opposite the warehouse. _At least they wouldn't be a problem for Nate._ He listened in as the bus driver called in the fire.

* * *

><p>When the make and model of the car matched the one they had on file for Nate, Oliver jumped onto the handheld. "Diaz, Epstein, take the fire."<p>

"But sir…" Chris tried.

Oliver didn't give him a chance to finish. "We don't know if he had McNally with him or not; if she's there, we need to know. If he's there but she's not, we need to know. We need eyes on that car."

"Yes, sir." Dov acknowledged, dropping their vehicle out of formation and making his way to the address that had just been announced.

"Call as soon as you know anything." Oliver ordered.

Jennings got on the radio to dispatch after the first unit from Twenty Seven responded to the call. "This is Jennings, GNG." He announced, interrupting the response for backup. "We've got a car from Fifteen responding from a related case."

"Ten four, Jennings, Twenty-seven-oh-four, disregard backup."

* * *

><p>The door opened to the van, and without any preamble Nate told Andy. "I gotta get out of here now."<p>

"What about me?"

Nate had thought about it a lot. She would just slow him down and right now he couldn't afford that. He was going to have to leave her here. If the cops came, which they would eventually, she would be fine and they would have to stop and talk to her. If Vicero's guys came first, hopefully they would try and get information out of her before coming after him too. Either way it would buy him some much needed time, which he knew for him could be the difference between life and death. What it meant for her he didn't know, but he couldn't let that stop him. If he wanted to survive, he couldn't worry about collateral damage.

She tried asking him again but he completely ignored her as he pulled out his phone and scrolled through the contacts before pushing the talk button.

At least he left the door open; it was getting pretty stale in there. But unfortunately that was about the only benefit because when he moved towards the entrance, all she got to hear before he walked outside was him addressing Boyd. She had no idea if he was letting Boyd know where she was or if he was planning on taking her along for the ride. But he did say he was going to leave and she distinctly heard the sound of a car door opening...and shortly after that, likely the same car attempting to turn over. He must have been trying to hotwire one up to start.

He obviously knew what he was doing because it fired up quickly. She waited patiently, but Nate wasn't coming back in. She didn't hear the car pull away either so he had to still be out there. Maybe help was on its way if he hadn't pulled away yet. Maybe Boyd was convincing him to turn himself in; she really hoped that was true.

Her hope didn't last long though because the thought had barely registered when she heard what sounded like gun shots and shattering glass. Her widened eyes remained peeled on the door, and she was somewhat relieved when it was Nate who appeared in the opening. But from the look on his face and the lack of sirens and lights, the shots could only mean bad news.

She heard him yell into the phone. "Gun shots you idiot! They're here!"

And after a few seconds he followed it up with. "You can't keep me out of jail after I kidnapped a cop."

She would have loved to hear Boyd's response to that, but it was wishful thinking so she had to do the next best thing and that was to watch Nate for any sign that Boyd was getting through to him. But before he could respond, there was a banging on the door; someone was trying to get in and if the recent gunfire was any indication they were more than likely armed.

The banging stopped after a few seconds, but there was no time for relief because it was followed quickly by a loud crash and a burst of heat and flame. Andy couldn't completely see it but she could guess.

Nate confirmed her suspicions when he alerted Boyd, "Shit! Molotov cocktail. They're here…I gotta go."

"What about me?" Andy asked again.

"I'm sorry, but I gotta go." He explained, shaking his head almost regretfully. "I don't have time to get you out of there."

His argument was punctuated by two successive crashes and subsequent explosions as a pair of cocktails were tossed in through another set of windows.

One landed in front of the van and Andy could see the liquid snaking its way across the floor closer and closer to her as she prayed for it to stop short. Lucky for her the floors were cement; it mean that the fire couldn't spread past the accelerant, but if the next shot came any closer or…

Both of their heads snapped to the side when another surge of heat lit up the room. It was the biggest one so far as the projectile had hit some papers and a table that burst immediately into flame. The fire now had the fuel it so desperately needed to survive.

* * *

><p>Jennings had just returned the radio to its cradle after reaching dispatch when his phone rang out from his pocket. He listened for a second and then all Gail heard was "patch it through to channel four," before he hung up.<p>

'_...yd here.'_

'_Boyd?'_

'_Where the hell are you?'_

The radio was still in Sam's hand and his grip tightened as he turned it up; he didn't want to miss anything and he wasn't the only one. Everyone was pulling their radios out and listening intently trying to pick up some clue as to where Nate was. It sounded like he had just opened a car door, but where.

'_What the hell is going on?' _Boyd's voice echoed; he had obviously been put on speaker.

'_Vicero's on to me. Put a price out on my head. I, uh, gotta go.'_

The next noise was unmistakable as Oliver's team heard the sound of a vehicle starting up in the background. But where were they; had they run from the other car and found a replacement? Was it the surveillance van? They really wished they knew what they were looking for.

'_What about McNally?'_

Oliver exchanged a look of surprise with Sam. _Maybe there was hope for Boyd yet._

'_Who? The girl? She's fine; I gotta get outta here.'_

A communal sigh of relief resounded from all of the units from Fifteen.

'_Out of where?'_

'_Doesn't matter. But if you want Vicero, you better move fast. He's on to me and if you don't get him now, he'll probably move underground.'_

'_We don't have enough on him.'_

'_I might be able to help you with that, but I have to get out of town first. Once I'm safe...'_

'_We can keep you safe.'_

'_Yeah, I don't think so. You gonna put me in witness protection because I know what happens to snitches out on the street.'_

'_Maybe; let me see what I can do.'_

'_No! He's got guys everywhere; I just need out.'_

Another very distinctive sound punctuated his remark and echoed across the radios...gunfire, which was followed quickly by footfalls and the slamming of a door.

'_What the hell was that?'_

'_Gun shots you idiot! They're here!'_

'_Tell me where. I can help you; I did it before.'_

'_You can't keep me out of jail after I kidnapped a cop.'_

'_You didn't kidnap a cop; she gave you a ride. I'll talk to her okay; we'll say she was working with me and was ordered to stay with you and keep you safe." _

Boyd obviously had no idea that they had tapped into his line. If he did, he would have never risked suggesting something like that for Sam to hear.

'_She owes me one anyway.'_

"The hell she does." Sam grumbled to himself. Oliver chanced a glance at his friend, who seemed surprisingly calm until Oliver looked down at his hands, his grip so tight on the radio that his knuckles were turning white. He was holding it together, but just barely, and although Boyd didn't know it, he was probably lucky Sam wasn't anywhere near him.

Before Nate had a chance to respond, they heard a loud crash echo over the radio as if someone was trying to force their way through a metal barrier. Sam was becoming even more certain that they were still at the warehouse and he was relieved to see that they were getting close. Any respite was short lived though when they picked up what sounded like a small explosion.

'_What the hell was that?'_

'_Shit! Molotov cocktail. They're here…I gotta go.'_

From the background, they all heard a muffled voice.

"_What about me?"_

It didn't seem possible, but even more adrenalin started shooting through all of the bodies that were captivated by the broadcast. "It's her." Traci announced more to appease herself than anything else.

Chris and Dov had reached the other scene and found nothing but a burnt out shell of a car with no sign of Nate or Andy. They had just exited the vehicle when her voice sounded over the radio; without even acknowledging the team from Twenty-Seven, they slid back into their cruiser and took off. The bewildered officers just shook their heads and called for more backup.

"_I'm sorry, but I gotta go; I don't have time to get you out of there."_

_Shit! _ Two more explosions occurred simultaneously and one sounded suspiciously closer to the phone.

Feet pressed unconsciously harder onto the gas pedals as time seemed to be running out. First the explosions and then nothing; it was as if it was a tape put on pause. _What was happening?_

There was another group sigh of relief when they heard her voice again.

* * *

><p>"But it's already…I mean if the fire gets to the van…please…" Andy begged.<p>

"I'm sorry; I just don't have time."

"Just let me out first...please." She pleaded as the smoke inched its way through the open door.

She was making it harder and harder for him to just up and go, but he didn't have a choice. He tried to justify his actions. "I don't have keys for the cuffs and…"

"I do." She offered hopefully. "Lower left pocket...at the knee."

He didn't have a chance to look before the door started rattling again, followed quickly a loud crash. Whatever they were using had made a pretty large dent in the door and it wouldn't be long before the whole thing gave way.

"Sorry, Sweetheart." He apologized again. "I'm sure someone will call the cops soon."

"But you have him on the phone. Boyd can…" She huffed out a breath. "...never mind." _Boyd hated her; would he really go out of his way for her?_

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"You might want to duck down." He suggested with a shrug of his shoulders, moving back to push the van door closed.

"Sam, please hurry." She whispered mostly to herself because the door was clicking closed. _At least it might keep some of the smoke at bay_, she thought already feeling the irritation in her eyes and throat.

With all of the noise coming from the front, she watched Nate race for the far back corner until he was out of sight. He was clearly slipping out the back way and now all she could do was wait and hope that someone had called in the disturbance and that help was on the way.

* * *

><p>As true as it was, Andy's friends all hated the fact that Boyd's disrespect for her and apparent disregard for her well being was causing her to give up the fight.<p>

Just before the door had latched they heard a quiet, "_Sam, please hurry," _followed by heavy footfalls and then the call dropped.

Sam's heart wasn't the only one breaking for her and now they were all breaking for him too, and no one was about to give up on the idea of 'them' without a fight. So Oliver didn't need any prompting when he stepped even further on the gas pedal and everyone else immediately followed suit. Originally the plan was to go in silent, but it was too late for subtleties. They were going in full force.

* * *

><p>Andy heard the sirens faintly in the distance and she hoped they were headed her way. She wasn't completely sure, but they sounded like they were getting closer and she found herself feeling a little more confident.<p>

The door had just been thrown off its hinges when she saw the red and blue lights reflecting through the windows. _Thank goodness._

She dropped down in her seat doing her best to try and stay hidden from the three guys that had stormed through the door. She didn't know how many others had been out there or if anyone else even stayed around when the cops showed up. But she wondered if the cavalry would have to fight their way in and just how much time it would take. Because from the matching scowls adorning the faces of this trio, it didn't look like she had much.

* * *

><p>Sam and Oliver had pulled up first. They watched the bodies scramble in all different directions and at least two or three had ducked into the warehouse.<p>

Smoke and the shadows of flames were visible from the high windows but they wouldn't know just how bad it was until they got inside. Before Oliver even had the car in park they heard Jerry on the radio calling for the Fire Department.

Oliver saw Diaz and Epstein pull up along with a unit from Twenty Seven and he immediately ordered them around back before instructing the others to give chase to anyone trying to get away. He and Sam would take the warehouse from the front.

Sam wasn't going to wait for further instruction; there was only one thing on his mind. Oliver shook his head as Sam jumped from the vehicle. "Damn it Sam, hold up! You don't have a vest!"

Sam was still in his UC get-up and was not dressed for a gun fight, but Oliver knew that it was going to take more than that to slow him down. Jerry ran by Shaw as he stepped out to follow Sam and he threw an extra vest at Oliver; fortunately someone had been thinking when they left the station. _ At least he has the radio, _Oliver thought until he looked down to see that Sam had left that behind too.

Oliver sprinted to the back of the cruiser and pulled out a water bottle and an old towel that he tucked into the side of his own vest. He then jogged up behind Sam who had already exchanged shots with someone and then taken cover behind the wall just outside the entrance. Oliver shoved the vest into his friend's back and then turned around to protect it. "Put this on, Rambo."

Sam rolled his eyes in response, but Oliver simply ignored him. "What have we got?"

* * *

><p>Andy had remained crouched below the window line but she could still see the heads of the three guys who had just entered and she watched as they took in their surroundings. Their gazes appeared to stall on two things: the open back door and the van sitting right there in front of them. They exchanged a few words before the guy in the middle flipped his head towards the rear entry and then motioned towards the van with his hand.<p>

As the other two took off to the back, the third stalked towards the van with his gun at the ready. Within a few steps, his face and shoulders began to fill in the passenger side glass and she saw that he had pulled his shirt over his mouth and nose. Clearly it was more for protection from the smoke and smell than to protect his identity. Fortunately, the dark tint of the windows kept Andy somewhat concealed and it helped that his eyes continued to scan the building looking for any sign of outward threat.

She could hear the melee outside but still no shots had been fired. Her only thought was _'please hurry'_ as she watched the intruder glance quickly all around before reaching out his arm.

She heard the door latch click open and more smoke started to seep in through the gap.

* * *

><p>"There's a bunch of smoke and some flames but it hasn't spread too far." Sam reported as he shrugged on the vest. "I've got one guy at the van and looks like two more took off out the back."<p>

"Diaz and Epstein are going around back with Twenty-Seven so we're covered there."

"The guy at the van has wasted at least two shots already but I don't want to…I mean I can't…not without…"

Oliver furrowed his brow. "What?"

"He's using the door as a shield, and McNally's in there. I can't…what if…"

Oliver knew exactly what he couldn't say. "Guess we have to draw some more fire then…no pun intended." He added with a chuckle. Oliver swallowed his snigger almost immediately though, catching on quickly that Sam was in no mood for jokes.

"I'll go left; cover me with a couple shots above the van."

"The fire…"

"I'll be fine; I know my way around here."

Oliver didn't like it but arguing with Sam at this point would be a waste of breath. "Here." He stated tugging the towel out and shoving it into Sam's free hand.

At Sam's questioning look, he then pulled the water bottle from his pocket and began dousing the towel with water.

Sam nodded his thanks. "Ready?"

The second Sam jumped through the opening; Oliver pumped two shots off the front of the van before pulling back outside. He listened as two return blasts ricocheted off the door jamb opposite him. _ Four down, two to go?_

Oliver directed his next bullet just behind the front wheel and he heard the guy yelp and fire off another round that didn't come anywhere close to Shaw. He looked to his left and could just make out Sam working his way behind the back of the van with the wet towel dripping from his face. If Sam was right, he needed to draw one more shot so they could make their move.

He aimed the next one right at the guy's feet causing the bullet to rebound off the floor and up under the van. It was too close for comfort for the guy, because he jumped out from behind the door and then fired off two shots in succession. The first one bounced harmlessly off the wall and the second was the welcome click of an empty barrel.

The guy's head shot up in a panic as he reached into his pocket for more ammunition. He lunged to try and get into the van as Oliver yelled out, "Police! Don't Move!" and he thought he was going to make it inside until he felt a tight grip on his ankle. _What the..._

Sam had made his move the second he knew the guy's gun was empty and he had just got hold of him before he had a chance to pull his leg in and close the door. There was no way in hell he was going to let that guy alone in the vehicle with Andy.

Sam heard her yelp in surprise at the guy jumping into the van and watched as the shock registered on the man's face. It was clear that he hadn't known she was in there and it was probably a good thing because otherwise they may have had a hostage situation on their hands and Sam was having enough trouble keeping his cool as it was.

He yanked the guy out of the van giving him no chance to formulate any kind of plan that involved Andy and slammed his body into the cement floor with a satisfying 'oomph'. Before he could do any further damage though, Oliver's hand was on his shoulder. "Easy, Sammy. I got this one." He offered.

"The one in the van is yours." Oliver stated with a knowing smile.

Sam rolled his eyes once again at his friend's antics but he followed it quickly with a grateful nod. He picked up the towel, jumped up and made his way to the front of the vehicle.

"And make it snappy!" Oliver ordered with a short cough, laughing when half the wet towel hit him full on in the face.

"Yeah…thanks, brother." He chuckled out before he yanked his subject to his feet, reading him his rights when they made their way through the smoke to the outside.

Sam heard Oliver heading out but didn't give him a second look as he ran around the front of the van and threw open the driver's door. Andy must have been following his movement because she was already waiting so meet his eyes as soon as he opened it.

They were each a welcome sight for the other and their relief was almost tangible.

"Hey." Andy rasped out, trying hard to hold back both tears and a cough.

"Hey." Sam breathed out, not trusting his voice to say anything more.

Andy could tell immediately that Sam was worried and that upset her as much as anything, especially when she was the cause. She just really wanted to see the grin that she had missed so much, the one that made her feel like everything was going to be okay.

She tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders. "I stayed in the van." She offered sheepishly, trying to entice him with a small smile.

Sam knew what she was doing and he tried his best to return her smile, he really did. But he could see where the skin had been rubbed off her wrists by the cuffs, how the whites of her eyes were now ringed with red from all of the smoke, and how completely exhausted she looked. She couldn't fool him and he didn't have it in him to try and pretend right now.

But she wasn't going to give up, as much for her own peace of mind as his. She needed to lighten things up or she was more than likely about to break down.

She tilted her head towards the cuffs and held them up for him to see. He reached down into her lower left pocket to pull out the key and gently twisted her hands so he could better reach the lock.

"Guess this is one way to make sure I stay where you want me to." She teased, tilting her head to try and meet his eyes. "Bet you wished you'd thought of it."

With the click of the release, Sam looked up and she finally got her wish - a full-fledged Swarek smirk complete with dimples and the inimitable twinkle in his eye. "What makes you think I haven't?"


	19. Chapter 19

Sorry for taking so long, but as I've said before, this story has a mind of its own.

This was supposed to be the last chapter, but 9500 words later and it was time to find a break point…so that means this chapter plus one more…and oh yeah, I may have an epilogue in the works too.

Thanks for sticking with me; I hope you continue to enjoy.

* * *

><p>She tilted her head towards the cuffs and held them up for him to see. He reached down into her lower left pocket to pull out the key and gently twisted her hands so he could better reach the lock.<p>

"Guess this is one way to make sure I stay where you want me to." She teased, tilting her head to try and meet his eyes. "Bet you wished you'd thought of it."

With the click of the release, Sam looked up and she finally got her wish - a full-fledged Swarek smirk complete with dimples and the inimitable twinkle in his eye. "What makes you think I haven't?"

Andy's cheeks deepened to a delicious shade of red that had Sam feeling a heat that had nothing to do with the fire still burning nearby.

"Sa-am!"

"What?" He asked innocently, trying to repress the smirk that felt permanently etched on his face.

Her eyes widened. "You haven't…Have you?"

Sam gave a quick shrug of his shoulders. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He teased.

She dropped her chin and raised one eyebrow in question.

Sam shook his head; he really needed to keep those thoughts at bay. "Now's not the time McNally. In case you haven't noticed, the building is on fire."

She rolled her eyes. Of course she had noticed. She sucked in a breath about to set him straight when her entire body was wracked with coughs.

"See what I mean." He confirmed, threading the cuffs out and helping her down from the van.

She freed her second wrist as the coughs subsided.

"Take this." He ordered, passing her the wet cloth.

She shook her head and pushed his hand back with both of her own. "No. What about you? You need it."

Sam did not respond; in fact he didn't even move.

"Sam?" She shifted her focus up to his face and realized that his eyes were locked on her wrists. They had been rubbed raw from the cuffs and all of her attempts to get free. There were even some patches of blood where she had broken the skin in a few places.

"Sam," she tried again.

"Let's go McNally." He insisted gruffly shutting the door and angling her towards the front of the van. She had been there far too long already and the state of her wrists was testament to that. He had to get her out of there.

She allowed him to lead her away, but made no move to take the cloth even though she could see that he was fighting not to get upset.

"I'm fine." She assured him again.

He rolled his eyes and she pulled his face back to hers. "I'm fine!" She insisted but she had to let go and turn away as the coughing took over once again.

Sam dropped his chin and raised his brow, but didn't offer her the 'I told you so'; he just thrust the wet rag into her hand.

Her eyes softened. "Thanks," she breathed out welcoming the relief of the cool cloth as she brought it up to her mouth and nose.

"You're welcome. Now let's get you out of here."

Once he had them clear of the van, Sam rushed them towards the door. The acrid smoke was getting to him too and Andy had been breathing it in for awhile now. As they neared the exit, they were met by a fireman as he pushed the button to lift the garage door. The larger opening was immediately filled by more firemen making their way in and the billowing smoke making its way out.

One of the firemen that had remained outside reached for Andy but Sam assured him that he had her. He looked like he was about to tell Sam that it was his job, when the look on Sam's face stopped him in his tracks. "I'm a cop." Sam stated with conviction. The man turned towards Andy for confirmation but she didn't have a chance to reply before Sam spoke again. "I've got her."

At Andy's nod, the fireman turned away and Andy's eyes met Sam's. She could see that he was just as relieved at those words as she was. He had her and everything was going to be okay. She felt safe because he was there and he could finally relax because she was alright.

Once they made it out of the building and past any smoke that had been seeping outside, Sam took in a deep cleansing breath. Andy tried to do the same but it only seemed to aggravate her lungs more and she began to cough again. Sam saw that a bus had arrived and flipped his head signaling to Andy that that was where they were headed.

"Sam, I'm…" She was about to tell him she was okay, but the look on his face told her that the only person he would believe would be a medical professional.

"Fine," she grumped, her shoulders slumping as she allowed him to guide her towards the ambulance.

Sam just smirked. Getting his way with Andy was not an easy thing to do; she had become immune to most of his charms. He was glad she didn't fight him on this one though because he was fully prepared to hoist her over his shoulder if he had to. Thankfully that wasn't necessary.

Cruisers littered the parking lot and Sam and Andy had to weave through them to make their way to the ambulance which had been unable to get any closer. Their friends and coworkers were busy loading a wide array of characters into the back seats of their units.

They had just passed Jennings and Peck when the radio on Gail's belt blared into life. "Diaz to Shaw. We have two suspects in custody. Repeat two suspects in custody. Unit Twenty-Seven Twenty will be bringing them around. Still no visual on Foster, Officer Epstein and I will continue searching on foot. We have five buildings back here and then an open field. Requesting back up to help sear…"

Chris stopped talking and everyone strained to listen. It sounded like Dov was yelling in the background. "This is Officer Diaz. We have a visual on Foster; requesting immediate backup. Officer Epstein is in pursuit; I'm entering now. Second set of buildings behind the warehouse, about half way down, sign above the entrance reads B-14."

Sam and Andy looked back towards the warehouse to see if they could figure out what Oliver was going to do. Everyone seemed to have at least one person in the back of their vehicle already.

They listened as he barked out orders and watched as Jerry pulled a body out of the back of his cruiser and handed him off to Jennings who had run back up beside him. Jennings then got on the radio to dispatch requesting units from Twenty-Seven to transport bodies back to their barn. It made sense; Fifteen was already over run anyway because of the take down earlier that night.

As soon as Jerry's prisoner was passed off; he and Traci jumped in their vehicle. But the area was still littered with squad cars and there seemed to be no easy path through. Oliver slid into his unit and pulled up about six feet leaving just enough space for Jerry to pull through and tear around the side of the building and out of sight. His voice echoed over Gail's hand held as he confirmed that back-up was on its way.

Andy studied Sam as he watched it all play out; she could see the wheels turning, probably analyzing Oliver's strategy, maybe thinking about what he would do. She could almost feel his heart racing with the excitement and had to wonder if he would rather be in the thick of things. "You can go, you know."

Sam shook his head before turning her away and getting them moving again. As much as he would have liked to be pursuing Foster, Andy was his first priority. "Nice try, McNally. I think we both know you need a chaperone."

"I'm not a child, Sam. I can…"

She didn't have a chance to finish as they had reached the ambulance and two medics approached them. This was a different jurisdiction so the medics didn't recognize them, but they could see that Andy had obviously been exposed to the smoke and just assumed that Sam had too. "Were you two the only ones in the building?"

Sam answered for them both knowing that Andy would try and dismiss it. "Officer McNally was in there for quite a while. I only went in to get her. One of the perps was in there too; he's being held in the first squad. You may want to check him out before you go, but I don't think he was in there long. She got the worst of it."

He ignored Andy's glare; he could tell that she thought he was playing it up, but he knew that if he let her answer she would be playing it down.

If he wanted to ignore her she was fine with that; he wasn't the one that needed to be convinced so she turned her attention on the medic. "I'm fine; the smoke wasn't bad in the van…"

"She has lacerations on both wrists as well." Sam interrupted.

Sam's demeanor had made it obvious that he too was a cop. "Thank you, officer…"

"Swarek, Sam Swarek."

"Thank you Officer Swarek; I think we got it from here. My partner will go check out the prisoner and I can handle Officer McNally."

Sam scoffed so hard he almost snorted and Andy attempted to use the glare again, though it remained ineffectual.

"I'm good here." He stated.

"There's really no need; I promise we'll check her out and if she…"

"No offense, but I want to make sure she gets everything taken care of."

"I know my job Officer." The medic replied defensively.

"It's not you I'm worried about; it's her." Sam informed him, tilting his head towards his partner. "I'm sure you're great at your job, but she can be very persuasive when she wants to be and if that doesn't work she'll keep talking till she wears you down. You won't know what hit you." He added, throwing Andy a smirk.

"You won't know what hit you? Nice, Swarek. At least I don't bully people into submission."

"Bully? You think I…"

The medic looked between the two of them. "Are you two married?"

"What? No!" They disputed.

The guy looked between them skeptically.

"Partners." Sam gave by way of explanation.

The medic nodded still not completely convinced they weren't in a relationship, but he continued to work on Andy as it was all he was going to get. He placed an oxygen mask over her face and started to clean and bandage her wrists. He was listening to her breath sounds when his partner returned stating that the other guy was just fine.

His co-worker turned to Sam looking to check him out, but Sam refused. Andy smirked and raised an eyebrow when Sam glared the man into relenting; 'I rest my case' was written all over her face.

Oliver came around the back of the ambulance just then, but he didn't get a chance to address them before his radio crackled to life. _"This is Barber; suspect Foster is in custody. We're bringing him around now."_

Oliver and Sam had just exchanged a smile and a nod, both happy that it was all over, when Jennings joined them. "We've got the rest of them transferred and on their way to Twenty Seven."

Sam looked surprised and peered around the ambulance to see the last cruiser loaded up at the street before it drove off. He had been too focused on Andy to realize that cruisers had pulled up along the road when they couldn't get into the lot.

"Who's going to Twenty-Seven to complete the processing?" Sam wondered aloud. "And where's Foster going?" He wouldn't mind a crack at him himself.

Oliver was thinking the same thing when he pressed the button on his handheld. "Detective Barber?"

"_Go ahead."_

"Why don't you take him straight back to Fifteen…" The others could go to Twenty-Seven, but he was pretty sure that Best would want Foster close if they were going to get the whole story.

"_If the medics are still there, I'd like to get him checked out real quick. His got a pretty good bump from when Trac…Officer Nash tackled him and he's been coughing a little too."_

Oliver looked at the medics for confirmation and at their nod he acceded. "Bring him around."

"Who's going to Twenty-Seven?" Sam reiterated.

"I should probably go." Jennings offered. "I have the most background on the whole thing." Ever respectful of the chain of command though, he looked over at Oliver who had been put in charge of the takedown. "Unless you want to go."

Oliver was about to reply when Peck came over the radio. "Detective Jennings, Dispatch is calling for you."

Jennings switched his channel over while Sam and Oliver listened in. Andy was exhausted and had closed her eyes but that didn't mean that she wasn't paying attention too.

"_Detective Jennings, you've been requested to return to Fifteen a-sap. You're needed in the war room."_

"Ten-four. ETA twenty minutes." Jennings responded over the radio before turning back to the two men. "One of you is going to have to head to Twenty Seven to help them make sense of this mess."

The two friends exchanged a look and Oliver knew Sam well enough to know that he wasn't about to go anywhere that Andy wasn't. When Sam started to tell him so, Oliver started to chuckle. _Seriously?_

Before Oliver could school Sam on how transparent his feelings were for McNally, the medic interrupted. "We're going to bring Officer McNally in. They're going to want to take some x-rays to look at her lungs."

Andy tried again to say she was fine but it came out as more of a wheeze.

Sam just looked at her and left no room for argument. "You're going."

She knew that look and it wasn't worth the effort; she wasn't going to change his mind and she was just too tired to fight about it. She sighed her assent and let her eyelids fall closed as the medic nodded. "We'll take her in as soon as we check out this other guy."

They weren't waiting long as Traci and Jerry drove up just moments later. Jerry jumped out and pulled Nate out of the back seat. His brows shot up when he saw Andy on the stretcher with the oxygen mask over her face, her eyes clearly closed.

"Is she okay?" He asked in a panic as he started leading Jerry towards her.

Sam's fists were clenching and unclenching and Andy's eyes flew open to see the muscles in his jaw tighten. She reached out her hand to the one he had resting on the side of the gurney and lifted the oxygen mask with her other. "I'm fi…" she started.

"No, you're not!" Sam snapped surprising everyone including Andy. "You left her in there when the place was on fire." Sam roared, unconsciously stepping towards Nate causing him to stumble a little. "You don't get to ask how she is and don't pretend you give a…"

"All-righty then." Oliver interrupted. "Detective Barber, perhaps you can take Mr. Foster around the side there and they can get a good look at him.

Jerry nodded and guided Nate out of Sam's reach, while Traci made her way over to Andy to see how she was doing. The medics grabbed a bag and followed Jerry around the vehicle.

It didn't take long for them to return, having declared Nate fine and as Jerry led him back to the cruiser he paused at Andy's side again. She didn't know if he was really brave or really stupid pushing Sam like that.

"I really am sorry; I didn't mean for anything…"

He didn't get a chance to finish his apology as a car screeched around the corner pulling everyone's attention away. The tell tale glint of a gun had them all diving for cover except for Sam. As the shots rang out, he wasn't looking to keep himself safe; he was lunging to cover Andy. He had on a vest and he was going to make damn sure it protected them both.

As the last shot echoed, he lifted himself up and looked her over worriedly.

"I thought you'd at least wait 'til we got home before you jumped me." She grinned trying to smooth out the lines from between his eyes.

He gave her a wink and his face relaxed into the smile she was looking for. "What can I say, McNally, the kidnapped, cuffed in a van, smoke covered look works for you." His sarcastic bravado fading as he unwittingly reminded himself of what she had just gone through.

She stuck her tongue out at him and he couldn't help but expel out a single chuckle.

"Well not everyone can pull it off." She tried again, needing him to relax.

He shook his head with a soft smile; he really couldn't believe that she was worried about him.

She winked back and it was enough; they both knew everything was okay.

Sam reluctantly pulled his eyes away from Andy to see that luckily no one else had been hit either. It looked like Oliver had already radioed it in and everyone else was starting to rise off the ground.

Jerry didn't even have Nate fully on his feet before Sam was yelling at him. "Get him the hell out of here!"

"I got him, Sammy." Jerry reassured as sirens pierced the air and they watched Chris and Dov speed by in pursuit of the shooters.

At the name, Nate made himself take a closer look at Sam. "Wait…aren't you…"

Jerry yanked him away quickly not wanting him to get too close a look at Sam. He wasn't really a member of the crew and he wouldn't know Sam well, but he'd seen him enough as Sam had been fairly high profile with the buy.

"And keep him away from the others." Sam encouraged; the last thing he needed right now was for Foster to tell the rest of the crew who he could be. He'd rather the department makes the decision as to when and how that came out.

He turned to the medics. "Let's go!"

Bravery or stupidity seemed to be a recurring theme as one of the EMTs informed Sam that typically only family members were allowed to ride along.

Oliver was shaking his head as Jerry and Traci quickly loaded up Nate; they were not sticking around for the fireworks display.

They would have been disappointed though because one look at Sam's face had the medic backtracking and fortuitously remembering that police officers were the exception to that rule.

Oliver grinned knowingly as the radio at his hip crackled to life again. "Officer Shaw, Dispatch for **you** now."

Oliver flipped channels as Sam followed Andy into the back of the ambulance. "Officer Shaw. Go ahead dispatch."

"_Officer Shaw, we need a twenty on Officer Swarek."_

"Officer Swarek is still on scene." Oliver informed. Without even looking, his hand snapped out to stop the medic from closing the door.

Sam, having heard the question and answer, glared at Oliver. _Why couldn't he have just waited one second and let them go? Told dispatch he was on his way to the hospital and without a radio?_

"_Let him know he's to report to Fifteen immediately for debriefing."_

Oliver returned Sam's stare. This was not going to be easy. Sam was giving him the "like hell" look and Oliver didn't think he'd be able to convince him otherwise.

He pushed the talk button. "Um…"

"If that's Boyd, you can tell him to go…"

Oliver quickly released the button. "Easy buddy. Let me see what I can do."

Before Oliver had a chance to compose a story, the radio came on and Frank's voice echoed out. _"Officer Swarek, my office…twenty minutes."_

Sam knew it was an order, but this was Frank, surely if he explained that Andy was heading to the hospital, or…Sam held out his hand wordlessly and Oliver slipped him the radio. "I haven't been checked out yet, SIR. We're headed to the hospital now; they want some x-rays to check for smoke inhalation." _He didn't need to know that the x-rays were for Andy._

The medic in the back dropped his jaw. _The_ _officer had assured him that he was fine. _Oliver just rolled his eyes.

Frank had worked with Sam for a lot of years and he knew his friend well. Sam hated doctors as well as hospitals; there was no way he was willingly going to get checked out. This had to be about McNally.

"_Boyko and I are waiting. Shall we meet you at the hospital then?"_ He countered knowing that would get Sam if he wasn't being entirely truthful.

_Damn it! _

"Take the cruiser, Sammy. I'll go with her." Oliver offered.

Andy shook her head which only served to irritate her throat again. When she finally regained her breath she told Oliver. "Go. Take Sam back for his meeting." She looked at Sam. "I'll be fine; I'm a big girl. I'm pretty sure I can…"

"_Officer Swarek?"_ Frank addressed him over the radio again.

"Ten-four." Sam relented. "Twenty minutes, your office."

"_See you then."_

Sam could hear the grin in Frank's voice and he was not happy about it. He paid no attention to Andy and spoke directly to Shaw. "Let me know **exactly** what they say. I'll come pick you both up as soon as I'm done."

Andy rolled her eyes knowing that Sam was ignoring her on purpose, but the look on his face told her it was a losing battle. "Fine. Let's go Oliver. You're probably itching to get away from the hose monkeys anyway."

"They think they're all that." Oliver grumbled. "Stupid calendars…like I want it on my fridge…"

"You know, we'll probably be done before you are." Andy warned Sam as he moved to step down and out of the bus to make way for Oliver.

"Unless they keep you over night." He taunted back as he handed his friend the radio.

She just huffed her reply and he knew the battle had been won. But there were more important things than getting in the last word. So he met her eyes and took a step back towards her; his gaze softened. "I'll be by to pick you up; if you get done before I get there, just text me and let me know."

She looked a little disappointed. "I will come for you." He assured her.

Oliver quietly backed away to give them a minute alone.

"Oh, I know you will; I just forgot my cell phone in the van."

"I'll grab it for you before I take off."

"But you're going to be late."

"Don't worry about me. Just have Oliver text me."

"But someone has to go to Twenty-Seven." She reminded him.

"Shit! I forgot about that."

Oliver popped his head back around, a sheepish look on his face; despite appearances, he had obviously been listening in. "I've got it covered. Jerry's heading over there as soon as he drops off Traci and Foster."

Sam grinned. "It's all good then." He looked at Andy. "Okay?"

"Okay."

"Andy."

"Hmmm?"

"Listen to the doctors. Let them take care of you…please?"

Andy blushed and offered him a small smile and a nod. He cared; he may not have said it in so many words, but she knew.

Sam jumped down and clapped Oliver on the shoulder in unspoken gratitude.

Oliver slipped him the keys and climbed in to take his place. "She's in good hands, Sammy. I'll make sure they take good care of her."

Sam gave him a quick nod before he turned around and took off at a jog.

* * *

><p>By the time Sam reached the warehouse, it appeared that the fire had been long since out; he still met resistance though when he tried to enter. But he was finally able to convince the captain that the phone was needed immediately. It was only a little white lie, and he wouldn't have done it if it was needed as part of the chain of evidence. But he was pretty sure it wouldn't be missed. The second he had it in his hand, he ran towards Fifteen-nineteen and sped off towards the station.<p>

Sam had already used at least ten of his twenty minutes before he even got in the car so he wasn't even half way back when his time was up. It didn't make sense to flip on the lights and he was in no hurry to get back, especially if it would inconvenience Boyd. Still, with Boyko involved, he probably should make a little effort. He picked up speed as he radioed in to let dispatch know he'd be a few minutes late.

"_Ten-four,"_ he heard Frank reply. Sam shook his head when Frank sounded like he wasn't surprised in the least.

* * *

><p>When Sam arrived at the station, he carefully avoided booking and holding. He had no idea who was left in there and he wasn't about to take any chances. <strong>He<strong> didn't really care, but it was probably a good idea to err on the side of caution.

He walked in and headed straight to the coffee; it was probably going to be a long meeting and he had already been up all night. Frank hadn't seemed concerned on the radio, so he figured he had time.

The rookies were all at their desks completing paperwork, chatting away. As usual Dov was going on and on about how cool the whole night was and how quickly they had chased the drive by shooters right into Twenty-Seven's road block . He didn't seem fazed by how much danger Andy had been in.

Sam's attention was piqued when he heard Chris pipe up. "You guys all know that I would have done everything I could for Andy right? I mean, I know why Shaw sent us to the car fire; I'm sure he thought that I was worried about the rules. But I could have you know."

Traci placed her hand on his arm. As much as Chris valued the rules, she was certain that he would have done whatever it took to save their friend. "Yeah, we know."

Chris looked up just then and noticed Sam. He silently wondered if Sam agreed with Traci but the senior officer's expression never gave anything away.

"Andy knows too." Dov assured him. "She knows we were all there for her."

"Are you going to tell her everything; I mean…" He let the question trail off; his eyes still on Sam.

Sam didn't know Diaz well enough to know what he would do under pressure. It was obvious how much he loved his rule book, but how far he would have been willing to go Sam didn't know. Still, he hoped he would put Andy's life before the rules.

Just as Sam was about to respond, the door to the war room slammed open and Boyd stalked straight over to the coffee machine.

"Don't even start with me Swarek." Boyd warned when he noticed Sam there.

It didn't work; Sam got right up into his face.

"You self righteous, son of a bitch. You don't think anyone can touch you do you? You think you can do whatever you damn well please. Doesn't matter who gets hurt in the process as long as you get what you want."

"You're not exactly known for staying inside the lines yourself, Swarek."

Sam put a hard finger to his chest. "I think it's about time someone knocked you down a few pegs maybe showed you a thing or two about how to serve and protect without destroying the lines all together."

As soon as it started to get physical, the rookies had stood up and moved closer wondering if they were going to have to break up a fight. They were torn; Boyd more than deserved it but they didn't want Sam getting into trouble for letting his temper get the best of him.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Boyd shot back, flipping Sam's hand away from him. "I made you Swarek; I'm the one that gave you a chance and put you under time and time again. Got you the experience. Don't piss me off Sammy or you won't even get a seat in the wire room."

Sam got deadly calm and took a couple of steps forward well into Boyd's personal space. "When I'm through, we'll see which one of us will be out on their ass."

"Don't underestimate me Sammy." Boyd retorted, not quite ready to back down.

"You call me Sammy one more time and I'll…" He didn't get a chance to finish the thought.

"Swarek! Boyd! My office…now!"

* * *

><p>The good news…the next chapter is pretty much written and just needs some final edits. Thankfully no one month wait this time.<p> 


	20. Chapter 20

Annie, this one is for you…you'll know what I mean when you get there.

SairsJ, thanks for the second set of eyes.

I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

><p>"Swarek! Boyd! My office…now!" Best bellowed as he exited the war room followed by Boyko and Jennings engaged in their own conversation. Frank went straight to his office, while the other two headed off in another direction.<p>

Sam started forward with Boyd hot on his heels and continuing to spew threats. "Don't mess with me Sammy; I'll be calling Peck the second we get out of there. She handpicked me for her task force you know and a recommendation from me can make or break you."

The rookies were shaking their heads and looking at Gail. They knew she and her mother didn't always see eye to eye, but someone had to talk to her before Boyd started feeding her his load of bull. Gail rolled her eyes. "I know. I know."

She called loudly so that Boyd could hear. "Simmons, could you get my mother on the phone please."

Boyd's head snapped back. _What the hell?_

Sam turned and smirked at the rookies thankful that Andy's friends had her back too. He knew that Boyd was already in trouble, but he wouldn't put it past him to try and pull one over on Superintendent Peck either. It was better to nip it in the bud before he even got a chance.

They stepped into the office just as Best started dropping the blinds to give them complete privacy. Sam wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one.

Frank cleared his throat taking his seat behind the desk. "Congratulations, Sammy. Another successful UC I hear."

Boyd scoffed and Frank turned to look at him. "You don't consider this a success?"

"Could have been better." Boyd responded and it was Sam's turn to scoff.

Boyd pretended not to hear him. "I mean Swarek lost his phone what…twice wasn't it Sammy. Couldn't call in and contact us for how long? And it took a lot longer than we thought."

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose before he took a deep breath and expelled it. "I'm also the guy that went in at moment's notice because your guy needed out. And now I'm beginning to wonder why because his quick exit was the main reason why they took all my stuff." He fixed his glare on Boyd. "Where is he anyway? I think it's time we had a chat."

"He had his reasons." Boyd insisted, "Which are none of your business."

Sam was starting to doubt just about everything Boyd did these days and was thinking very seriously about contacting Kenton personally.

Frank could see that this had the potential to go sideways really fast if he wasn't careful; both Swarek and Boyd were known for their tempers. He needed to take control.

He had heard a few things from Jennings and they had a pretty good idea about what was going on but Boyd seemed to have an answer for just about everything.

_First things first. _"Is McNally okay?" Frank asked.

Boyd huffed out a loud breath and rolled his eyes.

"She's going to be fine, no thanks to Boyd."

"What the hell did I do?"

"What the hell did you do? Are you kidding me? Your CI kidnapped a police officer."

"Did you talk to McNally?" Boyd asked, trying to keep any sign of guilt from his voice.

"Yes."

"About the case I mean…about work." Boyd replied snidely. "You know keep it professional…since you were on duty and all."

"Are you trying to imply something here?"

"I know you snuck away from your UC to see her. She told us both." He stated, looking at Frank for support.

"She got shot." Sam defended.

"And I told you she was fine."

"And I know how to lose a tail. It didn't affect the case."

"Not the point. No contact with anyone outside the team means no contact."

"You sent her in to see me that made her part of the team."

"That was after you met with her."

"And they knew I knew her from the club; there was no risk."

"Enough!" Best broke in; they were getting nowhere fast.

"Well, if you **had** talked to her…professionally I mean…she would have told you that I asked her to make sure he got out of there. I needed him for another job and he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You keep telling yourself that." Sam mumbled under his breath.

"What was that **Sammy**?" Boyd taunted.

Sam took a deep breath forcing himself to ignore Boyd's accusations and bullying tactics. "Do you know where she was when we got to her?"

Boyd shook his head and rolled his eyes, not caring in the least.

"So you didn't ask your guy to hold her at gunpoint? To cuff her to the steering column? Leave her there when the building was on fire?"

Boyd seemed to be losing a little color and Sam wasn't about to let up on him. "Any of this sounding familiar? Because when I found her, her wrists were rubbed raw to the point of bleeding and she's at the hospital now for smoke inhalation. What part of your master plan was that 'cause I never got the memo."

"Listen, Swarek." Boyd shot back loudly. It was his standard MO to try and deflect the pressure; he put on a big show.

"No you listen. She did everything you asked of her and I will not stand by and let you use her to cover your own ass."

"Oh is that because she's too busy 'taking care of' your…ass?" Boyd retorted, the implication clear.

Sam was out of his chair and had Boyd against the wall of windows before anyone could even blink.

* * *

><p>Out in the bullpen every eye had been drawn up to the Sarge's office as the room vibrated from the impact.<p>

"Swarek's pissed." Traci observed.

"How do you know it's Swarek?"

"Oh, it's Swarek." Traci asserted with a grin thinking Dov would be sorry he missed it. Any time the Swarek show was in town he was fighting for front row seats.

* * *

><p>Boyd was finding it hard to breathe with Sam's forearm pressing down on his windpipe and he kept shooting looks at Frank expecting him to intervene. Frank took his time though, hoping to send Boyd a not so subtle message before he finally stepped in.<p>

Sam reluctantly let go before striding back and leaning against a shelf. "Did you talk to your guy tonight?"

"What do you mean?" Boyd croaked out.

"Foster. Your guy. You were trying to call him when I was with you; I was just wondering if you reached him."

"Yeah, I was uh…"

"Save it." Sam interrupted; he didn't have the patience to listen to whatever line of bull Boyd dreamed up next. "I know all about your call."

Sam looked up at Frank. "He talked to his guy; Jennings had it patched through so we could hear what was going on."

Boyd's eyes widened. "What the f…"

"I know." Frank admitted stopping the detective cold.

Boyd's head snapped over to him. "What the hell?"

"When you stormed out of the room earlier, you missed the best part. Jennings told us all about the phone call. I'm guessing his report is going to be a pretty interesting read. In fact, he was taking Boyko to the tech room…"

With one quick knock, the door opened and Boyko and Jennings walked in. Boyd jumped up fully ready to defend his actions.

"Save it." Boyko instructed. "I've heard more than enough. Detective Boyd, you have an appointment at headquarters, day after tomorrow at ten hundred hours. You can tell your side then."

"But I've got another bust going down…"

"It's covered. Jennings will be taking over for you until further notice, and you can take the rest of today and tomorrow off."

Sam tried to hide the smirk as Boyd stormed out of the room.

"You did good, Sammy." Frank commended.

Boyko extended his hand. "You did. Nice work, Officer Swarek. You got a lot of guns off the street tonight"

"Thank you, sirs." Sam responded before nodding to Frank and Jennings and walking out.

* * *

><p>True to his word, Oliver had stuck by Andy. She appreciated him being there, especially when his uniform got them seen right away. But no matter what she did, he wouldn't leave. After she told him for the fourth time that he could wait outside, he made it perfectly clear that he would rather face her wrath than Sam's. She really couldn't blame him and finally let it rest.<p>

In the end, they told her, well them, that she had minor smoke inhalation, which was treated with the oxygen administered in the field and at the hospital. Thankfully she had been far enough from the fire that her airways were not burned; an inhaler wasn't necessary but she was given a few painkillers just in case. As for the abrasions on her wrist, they were treated with a topical ointment and wrapped up. She was to change the dressings and reapply the ointment once per day, and keep them dry.

While Andy was hitting the hospital pharmacy, Oliver texted Sam, but there was no response. _He must still be in his meeting,_ Oliver thought before he remembered that Sam didn't even have his own phone; he couldn't believe they had all forgotten. _On to Plan B. _ Oliver rang up Dov and he was more than happy to run over and pick them up. He had already changed out of his uniform and was ready to head out anyways. The Guns and Gangs' guys had everything under control with the original take down and Jerry was still at Twenty-Seven taking care of the rest.

"We'll just drop McNally off at her apartment and then you can take me back to the station to get my car." Oliver stated as he made himself comfortable in the passenger seat of Dov's car.

"Just take me back to the station too." Andy insisted. "I can walk from there."

"McNally you need to go home and rest. Actually you should probably eat too. Why don't we go for breakfast? You still owe me for that crack in the diner."

Andy blushed; she didn't need to be reminded of that. "Rain check?"

"McNally, I told Sammy I would take care of you; now the doctor said you should rest your voice and that will only happen if you're alone. Heaven knows you won't be able to keep your mouth shut at the station, especially if Nash is still there."

"She is." Dov confirmed, knowing she was waiting on Jerry.

Andy wasn't giving up. "My house keys are in my locker so I won't be able to get in."

"Well lucky for you I have my lock picks with me."

"Oliver, please, I just…"

"Is there some other reason you want to go to the station? Something you want to share with the class Miss McNally?"

Andy glared at Dov when he chuckled at Oliver's comment.

Both men were anxious for her to admit what they'd known for a long time; there was something between her and Sam. Oliver, especially, felt like he had seen enough and he just wished one or the other of them would admit it. They'd been dancing around it for so long, but her behavior while he was under and now his when she was in danger._ Could they just finally admit that they had feelings for each other and do something about it already? Besides he had today in the pool. _

He had made a guess early on hoping Sam's UC would go as quickly as predicted; when it hadn't he thought he was going to have to kiss that money goodbye. But as soon as he knew when the takedown was going to be he had put down another bet, and things were looking good.

Andy was wracking her brain for another excuse when Shaw's radio came on. Dispatch was looking for an update on Officer McNally. Guns and Gangs were hoping she could come in and give them her statement.

Andy smirked at Oliver as he rolled his eyes. "Sammy is not going to be a happy man. You know this can probably wait till tomorrow if we tell them you're not up for it."

"I'll take it easy I promise and I'll take full responsibility."

"You're damn right you will."

Andy just laughed. Sam might be upset, but she was used to it and the thought didn't bother her in the least. In fact, as aggravating as he could be, she liked knowing that he cared.

Dov dropped them off at the front doors with a wave and a promise to see them that night when they were all due back on the late shift again.

Andy's shoulders slumped at that; she just wanted to fall in bed and sleep for three days. "You better go, Oliver. I'm sure Zoe's worried and you need to get some sleep too."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good. I just have to sign my gun in and get changed. At least the paperwork can wait until tomorrow…or I guess tonight."

As soon as they walked through the doors, Andy was greeted by one of the guys she remembered from the meeting last night. "Officer McNally."

He motioned for her to join him in one of the interview rooms and she fell into step behind him before hesitating. "You mind if I get a coffee?"

"We'll have one brought in for you." He insisted nodding over at someone.

The blinds were pulled in Frank's office so she had no idea that Sam was even in there.

"Lots of milk, no sugar and extra hot." She yelled, causing her voice to crack and bring on another round of coughs.

Oliver had been heading into the men's locker room and heard her loud and not so clear. He pointed at her and gave her a warning look before he disappeared behind the door.

She rolled her eyes and continued on to the familiar room to sit down. She waited for the detective to start the camera before he joined her and asked her to re-cap her night.

* * *

><p>Sam came out of Frank's office with only one goal in mind – the locker room. He was going to change quickly, grab his keys and head to the hospital.<p>

He ignored calls from Diaz, Peck and Nash wondering what had happened; he didn't want to keep Andy waiting. But he ran into Oliver just as he was going in. "What the hell are you doing here? You promised you'd stay with her."

"Hold on, buddy. I did stay with her."

Sam looked around in question.

"She's in giving her statement."

"Now?"

"Yeah, Guns and Gangs wanted to get it right away."

"Did the doctor sign off on that? Was she supposed to come back? Shouldn't she be resting? Did they do an x-ray?"

Oliver chuckled; _his friend had it bad and maybe with a little prompting… _ "Doctor gave her some meds, told her to take it easy. She probably shouldn't be talking too much, but…"

Sam started to push his way towards interrogation.

Oliver gripped his arm before he could get too far. "She promised she'd take it easy."

Sam chuckled humorlessly. "And you believed her? This is McNally we're talking about here. She doesn't generally think about what she's doing to herself; she…"

"She'll be fine." Oliver interrupted. "I'm sure she's just about done anyway. Just get changed; I'll wait here in case she comes out."

And then Oliver took a chance; he didn't do a lot of undercover because of his family but that didn't mean he didn't have some skills. So he wasn't about to let that pool slip through his hands when he was so close. He acted a little nervous, pretending like he wanted to say something but was holding back and sure enough Sam bit.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just need to go talk to Nash first. Doctor said someone should probably stay with McNally just in case so I want to make sure…"

"That won't be necessary."

Oliver tried to hide his glee. "Are you sure? Oh, did you already call her dad? I guess she's probably going to stay there right? Or is he coming to her place? I'm sure he can look after her fine."

Sam was shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. His plan was to bring Andy home with him, but he wasn't really keen on letting his friend in on that. He and Andy had decided there was something there but they had not really discussed it since that night in the bathroom and he didn't want anyone else knowing anything before they had a chance to talk.

"She'll be looked after." Sam stated, staring at Oliver and silently willing him to give it a rest.

"Oh, I'm sure she will." Oliver smirked before Sam held up his hand.

He was about to tell Oliver to mind his own business when the door to interview one opened up. Andy stepped out followed by one of the detectives from Guns and Gangs.

Oliver watched the small smile and look of relief on Sam's face and he couldn't help but mirror it. Not because of the pool but just because he was happy for his friend; Sam Swarek, the terminal bachelor had finally met his match.

Oliver panicked a little when he saw the smile slip off Sam's face replaced immediately by rage. It didn't take him long to figure out why though when he noticed Boyd had also appeared in the hallway. And Sam was already stalking towards McNally with a look of determination. _This was not good._

Oliver hurried to catch up; he didn't really care about Boyd's wellbeing but he didn't want his friend in trouble. He was pretty sure Boyd was already in deep enough on his own so anything Sam did now would probably just look bad on him and not the detective.

"Looks like you screwed me over again Rookie!" Boyd yelled getting right up in Andy's face.

Andy was completely taken aback. _She always knew Boyd had a dislike for her, but seriously she was the one held at gunpoint and cuffed in the van inside a burning building so why the hell would he be mad at her. They got the bust; every last one of them and then some._

"What the hell are you talking about?" She croaked out loudly, hand flying up to her neck at the pain that shot through her throat.

"Thanks to you everything went to shit…again!"

"What?' I…we…" Andy was speechless. The detective she had just spoken to had confirmed that everyone had been arrested and that the takedown went flawlessly with the exception of Foster, but since they got him too she figured all the loose ends had been tied up.

"Don't play dumb; oh wait…it's not an act is it?"

At this point, it wasn't; she had no idea what was going on. But Boyd's accusation went much deeper than the present conversation, and she wasn't going to stand by and let him imply that she wasn't good at her job.

"If something's screwed up Boyd, that's not on me." She retorted. "In case you forgot, I was cuffed in a burning building thanks to **your** informant. Which reminds me; he didn't have time to tell me how you were going to keep him out of jail after he kidnapped a cop."

She turned to Sam and Oliver hoping for a clue as to what was going on and they realized that no one had told her about Boyd's end of the conversation she overheard when she was still in the van.

They didn't have time to fill her in before Boyd was off again, if possible even louder than before, the tell tale sign that his favorite strategy, pretty much his only strategy, had come into play once again: the best defense is a good offense.

"What I do with my informants is none of your damn business, Bambi. And you can just keep your nose out of it. Everything you touch turns to shit! You're a joke, just like your old man!"

Andy could not believe he went there and she was momentarily stunned. The shock wearing off only when she caught sight of Sam coming up beside her with his fist rising. Thankfully, Oliver was on the ball and got to him just in time.

"Yeah that's it! Wanna hit me, Sammy? Will that make you feel better? Wanna look tough in front of your rookie? Show her what you got? Or have you done that already? Is that why she follows you around like a love sick puppy dog?"

The fight was draining out of Andy; first he attacked her father and then her relationship with Sam. Nothing appeared to be off limits with him. She was trying to put on a brave face but she had no idea what to say because even though there was only a tiny grain of truth in what he was saying, it was still there.

"You like that don't you Sammy. You like that she worships your every move, follows your 'orders'. But what happens when that gets old huh? What are you gonna a do when you get tired of her? When it's not enough? I know you Sammy. It's fun now, but you need the thrills and adrenaline; the kinda rush you only get from being undercover."

Andy's facade completely fell after that; it was her worse nightmare come true.

Sam shook his head and even chuckled a little at Boyd's assumption. "You really have no idea do you?" Sam exchanged a knowing grin with Oliver as if they shared a secret, and they did. They both knew that love was a thrill ride in and of itself and with the right person it was more than enough. "I've already got all the excitement I need." Sam stated, and he knew without a doubt that it was true.

He turned to Andy whose face now sported a thousand watt smile and a look of promise; he was all she needed too. Sam responded with a full on dimpled grin that even Boyd's ranting could not erase.

"Your rookie? You think that's enough? All you did was feel her up in the club bathroom. She may be hot but that's hardly worth throwing away a career." Boyd shook his head as he continued. "Once you get her out of your system, you'll be back. You and I both know you can find a piece of ass like that on any str…"

The fist flew out of nowhere and Boyd didn't even see it coming. Sam and Andy were still grinning at each other like little school girls and Oliver was looking on like a proud parent. Every one of them looked up in surprise to see Traci shaking her fist in pain.

"You are a lonely, pathetic excuse for a human being; you know that. You really have no idea what it means to lo…" She broke off and just shook her head; it wasn't worth it…well that and Andy looked like she was about to pass out. Traci's tone softened a little. "I actually feel sorry for you."

"Nash!" _Shit_; it was Best.

"Yes, Sir!" Traci responded without meeting his eye.

"Are you okay?"

"Sir?" She turned then.

"I saw you from my office; it looked like you slipped and fell. You should probably be thanking Detective Boyd there for breaking your fall."

"Yes sir!" She agreed with a grin.

"And get some ice on that!" He barked, trying to hold back his smile. "The report for that would…just get some ice on it!"

Boyd spun on his heel. _Stupid uniforms always had each other's backs. That's what held them back; they didn't care enough about the big picture. Now Superintendent Peck, she saw the big picture; she was always happy with his results and he would make sure she knew all about what good had come from this bust and all of Foster's intel._

With his hand on the door, he turned one last time. "I'm not going down alone Swarek. You won't work Guns and Gangs again…guaranteed."

"Oh you're breaking my heart here." Sam groaned in mock hurt; his heart was in fine form thanks to Andy who had wandered over to look at Traci's hand.

The girls jumped quickly apart and hid Traci's hand though when Jennings and Boyko joined them. "I don't think you have to worry about that." Boyko told Sam before walking over to Boyd.

"I'm not sure that will be your decision." Boyko speculated as he made his way past the detective and out the door.

Jennings turned to shake hands with Sam. "I'd put you back under any time you want to go."

Sam saw the panic in Andy's eyes and was quick to reassure. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Not even if you can pick your partner?" Jennings tempted, knowing after only one night that these two came only as a team now.

Sam and Andy looked at each other. "**We'll** have to think about it." Sam answered and Andy beamed; she loved the idea that they were in this together.

"Just let me know." Jennings requested.

"You'll regret it." Boyd warned, never knowing when to leave the party. "I guarantee it. You let McNally anywhere near your op and it'll be nothing but bad news."

Jennings looked Andy in the eye and reached out to shake **her** hand this time. "I'm willing to take my chances."

Boyd scoffed and rolled his eyes. _You couldn't help some people._ "Idiots," he grumbled before pushing on the door to make his way out. He was halfway through when Gail called to him. "Make sure you say hi to my Mom for me. I told her to expect your call."

The smirk dropped off his face. His bravado was gone…and now so was he. He turned and left without another word.

Jennings chuckled to himself before turning to Sam. "That reminds me, Superintendent Peck wants this cleaned up as soon as possible."

Sam's head, shoulders and smile dropped in quick succession. He was done; it had been a really, really long day…in fact it had been a really long week and he just did not want to stay and give his statement now. He simply wanted to go home, take Andy with him, and forget about everything until sometime the following day…maybe even the next.

"So make sure you're back in here tomorrow morning at oh-nine-hundred sharp for debrief."

Sam grinned and Jennings took off with a smile and a wave. "You can thank me later!" He called back.

"Oh…and Andy." He turned when he reached the door. "Sergeant Best said you should take the night off, get some rest and pick back up on your shift tomorrow night." The man certainly knew how to rack up the brownie points.

Sam slid over to Andy with a smirk, but before he had a chance to extend an invitation, she beat him to the punch. "You wanna come see my new place?"

Sam was shocked; they had been hiding their feelings for so long or at least he had. He hadn't expected her to be so bold, but he was more than happy that she wasn't trying to hold back.

"You know, Andy, I've been away almost three months; I really just want to go home to my own bed tonight."

The others, who had been pleasantly surprised when Andy actually made a move, were downright flabbergasted when Swarek turned her down. Andy, though, was just saddened; she thought they were on the same page especially now that they were finally both free to do as they pleased. "Oh…okay, then…you get some sleep; I guess I'll just…see you tomorrow?"

Now it was Sam's turn to be shocked as she pulled her hand from his and started to turn away. _What the hell? This was not part of the plan. _ "What? No! Andy, I want to go home to my own place, but I want you to come with me."

He then leaned in closer to whisper in her ear; the others had already heard more than enough. "Besides, I said I wanted to go home to my own bed: I didn't say anything about going alone."

Andy blushed and the others were pretty sure they knew the gist of what Sam had to say anyway and they were more than happy, especially Oliver. He was already counting the money in his head.

"Okay." Andy agreed before grinning cheekily. "So now I kept my promise." She smirked at all the looks of confusion and shrugged her shoulders. "I stayed in the van." She explained to the delight and laughter of everyone including Sam.

But her next smile was just for him, "And I believe **you** made **me** a promise, Officer Swarek," she reminded, her voice taking on a whole new tone. "If I remember correctly, I seem to recall you saying we could finish what we started."

Sam used her hand to pull her in close, and he couldn't help it. It felt like forever, so he kissed her, just once, quick but full of promise.

And she wasn't the only one that felt it. It was enough to have everyone turning away to give them a private moment…well almost everyone. Oliver was gaping at them with his mouth wide open.

_Finish? _

"Finish? What do you mean finish? When did you start?" His head was flipping around like the answer would come out of nowhere; he could feel the money slipping through his fingers.

"Was it that night she and Peck were sent in? That's it isn't it? What day was that again?"

Sam and Andy just laughed; the truth was they couldn't really put a finger on when exactly it had started so they just turned and headed for the door, Sam's arm draped happily over her shoulder.

"Sammy? McNally? Wait…get back here. I need dates, times! Do you realize how much I have riding on this? Are those files going to be sealed?"

Everyone could hear Sam's chuckle echo throughout the garage before the door closed behind them. The gang started to disperse and Oliver was on his own.

He quickly whirled on his heel, running to catch up to Gail. "Peck, you were there that night right? Did they get together? Did they…you know?"

She just laughed and shook her head without breaking stride, leaving Oliver in her wake.

His voice echoed down the now empty hall. "What the hell happened in that bathroom?"

* * *

><p>This is actually where I planned on finishing the story. But I came up with an idea that I thought was going to be a new story, but I think it would work as a good epilogue for this one. So one more chapter…<p> 


	21. Chapter 21

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story from the start. I hope you enjoy this far from short epilogue; I think it may be the longest chapter yet.

Enjoy!

Thanks as always to Sairs J for being my second set of eyes.

* * *

><p>Andy always enjoyed lunch and a visit with her dad, and lately they had been meeting at least once sometimes twice a week. She definitely had her hands full these days and he insisted on helping; he hadn't always been there for her growing up and he was going to make damn sure he didn't let her down now.<p>

Sam hadn't been able to join them today, but was supposed to pick Andy up. She glanced at her watch as she sat on the stoop of her Dad's building. Tommy had a meeting to get to and she told him to just go. He had been sober just over two years and she was not going to get in the way of that; she would be fine on her own for awhile. He told her she could wait inside, but she insisted that it was too nice to be cooped up in an apartment.

She looked at her watch again; Sam was running late and she wondered if she should text him and start walking.

She had missed Sam today; instead of meeting with them like he usually did, he had a meeting with Guns and Gangs. It seemed like so long ago when the thought of that alone would have scared her, actually terrified her, but it didn't worry her anymore. They had an understanding, and Sam always kept her in the loop.

This time it was court trials coming up and they needed Sam's input. She shook her head; how do you recall details that happened so long ago? 'Good notes' Sam had always told her. And he was right; that was the way the system worked and so you had to make the best of it. With this case though, she didn't need notes to remember what had happened.

It felt like it had been forever but they were finally trying the gang from that bust when she and Sam first got together.

Sam himself wasn't going to have to go to court; in fact, as far as they knew no one ever even found out that he was a cop. So his official role was to simply review the reports and notes with Jennings as the detective prepared to testify.

Andy smiled. His unofficial role…Sam had spoken to the Crown on Vic's behalf. He had told Andy how Vic wanted out and how out of any of them, Vic was the one who would make the most out of a second chance and Sam wanted to give that to him. He lobbied for the minimum sentence and encouraged the prosecution to offer Vic a deal: an even further reduced sentence for signed testimony against the Boss.

Vic's case never even went to court. He took the chance and ran with it, especially after he heard that an officer went to bat for him. Sam often wondered if Vic suspected it was him, but never got the chance to find out. Vic was already out west after being released last month. Andy hoped Sam was right and that Vic would turn his life around.

She also hoped that Sam was still in a good mood when he picked her up that afternoon because they had been warned; Boyd would be going over everything with them as well.

Sam still held a grudge when it came to Boyd. He did little more than tolerate the detective, still holding him responsible for everything that happened to Andy that night.

The bruises had long since faded from her wrists where she had been bound in the van. Her anger at Boyd had faded as well, but what hadn't faded were her feelings for Sam. In complete contrast, her love for him had only deepened.

They actually hadn't seen much of Boyd in the last two years since he, as Oliver so aptly put it, 'went back to his own kind'. Apparently he fit right in with the 'cheating bitches' at Twenty-Seven.

They had caught glimpses of him at scenes that overlapped with Twenty-Seven, but both sides generally found an excuse to keep their distance. The only time they'd been forced to endure his presence was at Jo and Luke's reception party after the two had eloped.

And unfortunately, avoiding Boyd in the confined quarters of the Penny wasn't as easy.

_Flashback_

_Sam hadn't even wanted to go; Luke still wasn't his favorite person either, but Andy talked him into it; 'everyone was going'. In hind sight, she probably should have sent her regrets and begged off, but she thought it would be fun. And it was…for awhile._

_It started off harmless enough with Boyd sticking to one side of the bar with his co-workers at Twenty-Seven and Sam and Andy mingling with Fifteen's Finest on the other side. But as the liquor flowed, the lines blurred and Sam and Oliver ended up at the bar reminiscing with a couple of guys they knew from the academy. _

_Andy had been dancing with the other rookies when she heard Sam laughing. It's not like it was unheard of, in fact since he had started dating Andy the joke around the barn was that Sam Swarek had lightened up…a lot. Even still a belly laugh was something and it made her smile; she loved his laugh. _

_Unfortunately it also brought him square into Boyd's sights and he didn't appear to like the idea that Sam was happy. _

_Boyd had actually been giving them the evil eye most of the night; he blamed them for his demotion. Not only had he been removed from Guns and Gangs, but he was sent to join the ranks at Twenty-Seven and not even as a senior detective. Sam thought he should have been thankful that he got to keep his title of detective, but he wasn't. There had been talk about him applying for any and all openings with GNG but Jennings always found someone he thought better qualified. _

_Boyd must have seen the writing on the wall because next thing they had heard he had his sights set on Jo's job and had done everything he could to encourage her and Luke thinking she might transfer or get pregnant, anything so that he could take over. As usual, as long as he got what he wanted, he didn't care how he went about it._

_Jo wasn't stupid so she knew what he was up to, but she just took it all in stride. Disrupting her reception though was probably pushing it._

_Andy didn't want him to ruin this day for Jo and Luke so she was off and running before the other rookies even stopped dancing. Thankfully she wasn't the only one that saw Boyd coming and Jerry and a couple of other detectives got to him before he could get to Sam. Sam saw him though and stood to meet him; there was no way he was going to back down from Boyd. In fact, he would have welcomed a chance to let him have it; he had told Traci more than once that he was jealous that she was the one that threw the punch that fateful night._

_That night though, there would be no more punches thrown. The detectives escorted Boyd to his car and Andy enticed Sam to his truck with promises of finding a better use for those hands. He didn't take much convincing._

_End Flashback_

Andy's phone beeped, breaking her out of her reverie. It was a text from Sam letting her know that he and Jennings just finished up. He promised he would get there as soon as he could and he let her know that Jennings said hi; she could almost picture his grin at that. Jennings was more than likely teasing Sam about her.

Since that op two years ago, they had actually gotten to know Jennings quite well and Sam respected the man way more than he had Boyd. The feeling was mutual; in fact any time a position opened up in Guns and Gangs, Jennings offered it to Sam first. He always offered it in passing, dangling it in front of Sam, knowing full well he was going to turn it down. Still, he put it out there each and every time on the off chance he might change his mind. Sam usually just rolled his eyes and clapped him on the back giving him a "Sorry man, but you can't beat the benefits I got staying home."

Jennings would just laugh and say, "Tell Andy I said hi."

Jennings wasn't ready to completely take no for an answer though. So if he couldn't get Sam to transfer, he did the next best thing…offered him small short term stints that were never more than a month. He got to put the best on the case and Sam still got to do what he loved…with the woman he loved.

The two of them ended up to be Jennings go-to couple whenever they needed one and they never let him down…well almost never.

Andy laughed to herself as she recalled that fiasco.

They actually needed two couples for the operation; their target was a family run business and so they needed to present themselves as a tight knit family too. The cover was to be a man and his nephew fairly close in age and supposedly more like brothers. Each man was married with the elder having taken in the nephew when his father died. Sam and Andy were called in but because of their age difference, they wanted Andy to be with the nephew and they brought in another older woman to act as Sam's wife. Neither Sam nor Andy liked the idea but Jennings talked them into it.

They had managed to infiltrate the business but the father didn't like Sam and refused to bring him further into the company; he said he couldn't trust him. When Sam asked why, he said because if he wasn't loyal to his own flesh and blood, how could he expect Sam to be loyal to him and his family. Sam argued that he had cared for his nephew for many years and even allowed him and his wife to live with them when they lost their jobs. The man scoffed saying the only reason he did that was because Sam was in love with his nephew's wife and wanted her close to him. To say the least, Sam was shocked.

His ego had taken a bit of a hit when he had to report it to their handler that night; especially when he found out that Andy's feelings hadn't been quite so transparent. His ego didn't have to suffer long though, because even though the team wasn't impressed, Andy's reaction more than made up for their disappointment. She spent the rest of the night showing him just how happy she was with his 'under cover' skills.

In the end, it actually worked out in their favor because the patriarch made the officer posing as Sam's nephew an offer that would get him out from under his uncle's thumb and they simply had him play up the fact that he had suspected something between his uncle and his wife all along. Within a week of that, the bust was made.

But Jennings never suggested that again; from then on, Sam and Andy always went in together as a couple.

Andy was still smiling to herself over the memory when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up thinking that Sam had caught her daydreaming. _Great. Now he would either be teasing her relentlessly about it or going on and on about how she shouldn't let people sneak up on her. _

"Andy?"

But it wasn't Sam.

"Terri. Hi."

They had only seen each other in passing over the last couple of years, with only a few minutes to talk each time. That meant after pleasantries, they really hadn't gotten to anything interesting.

Terri sat down beside Andy on the stoop, thankful for the chance to finally catch up. Apparently Terri's wedding had been fantastic as was the honeymoon and they were now talking about starting a family.

"What about you? You finally find Mr. Right?" Terri started to laugh.

"Actually the last time we **really** talked was at my bachelorette party and you were trying to forget the boyfriend you broke up with. Oh….oh…the hottie…from the club! Did you give him your real number? Did you ever see him again? That guy was smokin' for sure but I never…I never called you. Do you know what I found out later from my husband, well fiancé I guess then…he told me the guy was probably part of a gang. Oh shit, I was going to call you and warn you…you didn't see him again did you?"

Andy laughed. "Actually…"

_Honk! Honk!_

Andy's explanation was stopped in its track by the blaring of a horn from the other side of the street and both girls looked up. Andy flashed Sam a huge smile as she held up her hand signaling for him to wait just a minute.

Andy chuckled at the look on Terri's face. Her mouth was wide open as she gaped from Sam to Andy and back again. "Is that…is he…did you…you mean…that was two years ago…" Her voice dropped to a whisper as if she was worried he might hear her. "Are you sure he isn't…"

Terri wasn't making any sense. Andy placed her hand on Terri's arm in an attempt to calm her down.

Terri took a deep breath, the worry apparent on her face. "Are you and he…."

Before she had a chance to go off again, Andy responded. "Yes, we are, but it's not what you think; Sam's a cop too he was undercover at the time…"

Terri was shocked. "Did you know him then? How did you find out?"

Andy chuckled. "Listen, I have to go; Sam and I have a couple of appointments to make this afternoon, but I'm having a party on Saturday at the Black Penny; you have to come."

"It's kind of short notice."

"Hey, I dropped everything to come to **your** bachelorette party."

Terri's eyes dropped immediately to Andy's hand and yanked her arm up bringing Andy's along with it. Yep, there was definitely a rock there, and it could only mean one thing. "And you'll tell me everything then?"

"I promise." Andy assured her.

"I'll hold you to that!" She swore as Andy got up to cross the street to Sam's truck.

Andy turned. "We'll be there at eight o'clock."

Terri was still in shock and staring at Sam as Andy jogged around to the passenger side of the truck; Terri could tell he was a little unnerved by the attention so she gave him what she hoped was a reassuring wave.

He furrowed his brow but waved awkwardly back before his eyes widened a little. As they pulled away, she heard him as he turned to Andy. "Hey, wasn't she the girl you were with…"

Terri laughed; now she couldn't wait for Saturday. She had to hear the whole story; she only hoped her husband didn't have anything already planned.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week passed in a blur between shifts, planning for both the bachelor and bachelorette parties, and planning the upcoming wedding which was the following weekend. Andy had told Sam she wasn't taking any chances; the parties were going to be a week ahead. She wanted everyone in fine form for the wedding, especially Sam; she knew his friends and was more than a little worried about what they might pull.<p>

She needn't have worried.

It was now Saturday night and the guys were all over at Jerry and Traci's playing poker. Oliver and Jerry had set up a number of poker tables and the plan was to simply play and drink for most of the night.

"Are you kidding me?" Dov complained after he lost all of his chips. It was a little after ten and he had already had enough. "This is a bachelor party! Swarek's bachelor party! It's supposed to be bad-ass! I can't believe you didn't even get strippers. Shaw you really suck at…"

"Hey!" Oliver interrupted. "We're not all horny teenagers here. Most of us have actually been in committed relationships for awhile and…"

"And your wife won't LET you." Dov finished for him.

"And I was going to say…and we respect that."

Dov just looked at him blankly.

"Fine…my wife won't let me, but you've only met her a few times when she's on her best behavior. Trust me." Oliver looked over to his two best friends. "Would you want to get on her bad side?"

Jerry and Sam had known Zoe for years and were vehemently shaking their heads. Zoe was amazing and they loved her to death, but that woman could hold a grudge with the best of them.

"Come on! There's gotta be a loop hole."

"And that my friend is why you are not yet husband material. There is no such thing as a loophole in marriage. And even if there was, the smart ones don't take advantage of it. If the retirement of my very first TO doesn't cut it, a party for Sam Swarek won't even come close."

"Hey!" Sam disputed. "Zoe loves me."

"Love only gets you so far, brother."

"But she forgave you." Dov reasoned, clearly not getting the point.

"Yeah…after a week, but the damage was already done. I'm pretty sure I'm still on probation and Sammy's couch just about killed my back. I went to the chiropractor for a month straight after that. And I can't even imagine sleeping on it now."

"What do you mean?"

"Sammy wasn't with McNally then. I can only guess what happens on that couch now that McNally is there all the time." Oliver forced a shudder. "I wouldn't chance it. Besides, it's not like I don't see enough of him and McNally all over each other at the station. You really think I want a front row seat for that. Yeah…no thanks."

Jerry was laughing and Sam was smirking. He wasn't going to deny it; that couch had seen a lot of action in the last two years and held a lot of fond memories none of which he was ashamed of.

"I'd let you stay on my couch." Dov offered.

Jerry laughed. "Yeah, you won't have to worry about too much action on that couch, unless you count video games."

"Hey, I have a girlfriend." Dov defended.

"And she's okay with you hitting the strippers?" Oliver asked skeptically.

"Well, if she gets to at Andy's party, then why shouldn't I?"

Sam's head snapped up. "What?"

Oliver and Jerry each placed a hand on their friend's shoulder in what was meant to be a comforting gesture.

"I take it you guys didn't have the stripper discussion?" Oliver inquired. _Amateur._

"I didn't think we had to." Sam hissed through his teeth.

Chris' laugh was cut short by Sam's glower. "What are you laughing at? Isn't your girlfriend there too?"

"Traci was planning it and Gail was helping her. You seriously didn't think you had to?"

Sam turned his glare on Jerry; the main culprit was his girlfriend. Jerry held up his hands in surrender. "I don't tell her what to do."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"I try not to think about it. Besides, she comes home to me every night."

"That's what I told Zoe."

"Listen, Sammy." Jerry continued, ignoring Oliver's interruption. "McNally loves you; she's marrying you. Let her have one night of fun before the big day."

"She gets plenty of fun, thank you very much." Sam defended; he didn't need to look at anyone else and he didn't think she did either. "Did you know there were going to be strippers?" He asked Jerry accusingly.

"Hey Traci wouldn't tell me anything. I'm actually surprised she told Epstein."

Dov looked a little sheepish. "Well, she didn't exactly tell me…"

Sam shook his head. "Why do I even listen to you? You don't even know…"

"Listen. I was waiting for the girls outside the locker room the other day and well the door didn't quite close properly when Noelle left so I may have overheard something."

Oliver snickered, "That door tends to do that when there's a foot stuck it."

"That's not the point."

"Fine." Sam conceded. "What did you hear?"

"When Noelle left, she told me that they were running late and to go ahead without them. When I asked why, she said important bachelorette business. That might have been when my foot got stuck. I…uh…may have heard what they were planning."

"And you're sure they were talking about strippers?" Sam wondered.

"Absolutely. I heard everything."

_Flashback as retold by Dov_

"_I really don't want to Trace."_

"_Come on; it'll be fun. Everyone will love it."_

_Andy let out a loud breath. "Okay…dancing is fine, but clothes stay on…all of them."_

_Traci just laughed. "Hey, where's the fun in that?"_

"_Traci!"_

"_Come on, Andy; I make no guarantees. I can make sure the girls know your preference, but you're going to have a room full of women and lots of booze; they tend to lose their inhibitions a little."_

"_Why can't we just sing karaoke?"_

"_Because you won't sing."_

"_Well I don't plan on participating in this either."_

"_Come on Andy; live a little. Just have fun with it, enjoy it. It'll make for good watching guaranteed."_

"_Do you really think Liam will even let you bring them in there?_

"_I already talked to Liam. He said as long as he doesn't have to do anything with them he's fine." Traci laughed. "He said there was no way he was going to fight a bunch of drunk women who wanted to take them home at the end of the night so we're on our own with that too. Oh…and there can be no permanent reminders of them left behind at the bar."_

_End Flashback_

All the men cringed at the last comment; they didn't want to even imagine what she meant by that.

"That was when Gail came up and blew my cover." Dov explained.

Sam was quiet. He knew Andy loved him and he probably shouldn't be upset but she didn't even ask if he was going to have strippers. Didn't forbid him to have them or anything. _Was it because she didn't want him to forbid her? _

Sam was a little disappointed; he didn't need strippers and he hoped she hadn't either. But if Epstein was right it wasn't even her idea; in fact, she didn't really sound like she was into it at all. But he also knew what could happen if things got out of hand; guys like that were used to willing participants and they weren't afraid to get too close. And Andy was hot…

The men watched as Sam's imagination ran away with him. They were concerned when his jaw started to clench, but it still caught them off guard when Sam jumped to his feet.

"Come on Sammy." Jerry warned. "Don't do something you're going to regret."

"I don't like it; those guys don't know boundaries. What if it gets out of hand?"

"They're all cops, Sammy. They can handle themselves."

"Not if they're drunk. I don't have to tell you what happens when Nash and McNally hit the wine."

"Noelle will keep them in line." Frank assured Sam. "She won't even be drinking." Noelle was just pregnant with their second child so he was sure she was prepared to be the voice of reason.

Sam was shaking his head. It wasn't good enough for him. A sober, pregnant Noelle was no match for the dynamic, drunken duo of Nash and McNally.

"Give 'em a call." Chris suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.

"They're not going to answer." Sam knew that for a fact; Traci had actually warned him earlier in the week to mind his own business. Now he knew why.

Dov grabbed his phone. "I'll just call Liam."

The girls had rented out the Penny and as bartender, Liam was the only man allowed in there. It was him and a couple of female servers.

"Put it on speaker." Sam ordered.

"_Black Penny."_

"Liam?"

"_Epstein?"_

"Yeah, I need to talk to Traci."

"_She's busy. Hey aren't you supposed to be at Swarek's bachelor party?"_

"Yeah, it's a bust."

Oliver, Jerry and Sam all rolled their eyes; they were fine with Poker Night.

Dov ignored them. "I've already lost all my money and Shaw was in charge so yeah, no strippers."

It was quite loud in the Penny so Liam didn't realize he was on speaker._ "Why would Swarek need strippers? Have you seen…"_

Liam stopped cold when he heard someone clear their throat and growl into the mike. "Put McNally on the phone."

Liam gulped; he hadn't realized that Sam was listening too. He wasn't interested in Andy but he wasn't blind either.

"_Sorry, Swarek…I…"_

"Just get McNally."

* * *

><p>In truth, Traci had arranged for lessons on the stripper pole; she told Andy that you never know when a skill like that might come in handy. Andy had rolled her eyes and protested, but in the end, they brought in two portable poles and a couple of instructors and most of the ladies had had a blast giving it a try.<p>

Andy though, wasn't one of them. It wasn't that she wasn't having fun; she was. She had visited with a lot of ladies, including Terri, who did show up and finally got the low down on Sam. And Andy did enjoy watching the other ladies try, but she had so far refused to get on one herself.

Traci and Gail had been feeding her shots hoping to break down her defenses. Gail even threw down a challenge thinking that Andy's competitive nature would take over, but she didn't bite. When she finally told them that there was a better chance of her singing karaoke than getting up there, they knew it was time for drastic measures.

Gail pretended to concede saying that Andy didn't have to if she didn't want to…"BU-UT, then you have to let me cuff you just like we did on that night before our first day as rookies. Prove to me you can get out and you're home free."

Andy grinned. _Piece of cake._

She held out her hands as she quirked her head and lifted a brow. Gail saw it for what it was – 'bring it on'.

Gail slapped the first cuff on Andy's wrist and Andy immediately started to pivot to help Gail out, expecting her to cuff her behind her back. Gail and Traci spun her so quickly though that she almost lost her balance and didn't realize how close they were to the poles. Before she knew it, her so-called friends had cuffed her to one of them.

"What the hell?" She growled.

The room had immediately gone quiet as everyone was watching and waiting to see what Andy was going to do.

Noelle, Sarah and Zoe were sitting together and they exchanged a look of chagrin, each wondering when and if they should step in.

The guys on the phone had heard the room quiet right down too. _"What's going on?"_ Sam asked.

Liam was chuckling. "Um…yeah…Nash and Peck are…I mean they want Andy to…she's…uh...a little tied up at the moment."

"_What?" _Sam practically yelled causing Liam to pull the receiver away from his ear.

"Take them off." Andy ordered.

"I can't hear you." Traci taunted.

"Put the music back on!" Gail yelled.

Someone turned it on and upped the volume a little as Traci cupped her hand to her ear urging Andy to speak up.

"Take them off!" Andy yelled a little louder.

Traci slinked up behind her friend and grabbed her hips, doing her best to gyrate against Andy and cause Andy to do the same to the pole. Andy shook her head and started to giggle. "Fine."

"Fine?"

"I'll do it."

Traci grinned victorious. "Go, Andy!" She cheered. "Take 'em off!"

All the girls whooped and hollered.

Sam…did not. But he had heard enough.

Liam was laughing when he finally got back on the phone. "You know I don't think…hello? Hello?"

Liam shrugged his shoulders figuring the guys had probably just given up.

* * *

><p>Sam looked around at the guys; they knew that look.<p>

"Road Trip!" Dov yelled, anxious for some excitement. "How many cabs do we need?"

"Uh-uh." Oliver tried, holding up his hand to stop Dov from making any calls. "Sammy we can't go over there. Nash and McNally…they aren't going to like it."

"Hey isn't your wife there too?" Dov inquired.

"She is." Oliver confirmed.

Dov just looked at him waiting for him to catch up. His eyes widened after a few seconds and he waved his hand at the rookie. "What are you waiting for? Let's roll."

"You smell that?" Dov asked.

Oliver furrowed his brow.

"Sweet redemption."

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for the guys to make it to the Penny especially with Sam leading the charge.<p>

He actually bolted from the front seat of the cab before it had even stopped. And he had the outer door open to the Penny before most of the guys had even exited the vehicles.

He yanked the inside door open and stopped cold at the sight before him. His jaw dropped; there was Andy strutting her stuff around the karaoke stage and what appeared to be a stripper pole.

He looked over at Liam whose head had snapped back away from the girls and over to the door as soon as he heard it open. The bartender was obviously concerned about Sam's reaction, but Sam didn't have time to worry about that right now. He'd deal with Liam at another time.

Sam knew immediately that they had made a mistake and he wanted to get out of there…fast. He didn't want the girls to catch him and even more so he didn't want the guys to see what Andy was doing.

Sam pivoted on his heel and pulled the door closed behind him running smack dab into Dov, Oliver and the rest of the men. "You were wrong Epstein. Let's get out of here." He ordered, pushing the men to the outside.

"What? There's no way I was wrong."

"Well, you were…so let's go."

The guys exchanged looks. There may not have been male strippers, but there was obviously something in there that Sam didn't want them to see and Dov for one was going to get a peek.

Before he had a chance to put up a fight though, the door swung open and out stepped Zoe, Noelle and Sarah.

_Shit!_

"What's the matter boys? Officer Shaw a little lacking in his party planning skills?" Noelle wondered.

"I'll say. Do you know that all…" Dov started before receiving an elbow to the stomach.

"Be nice." Zoe chastised her husband before continuing. "Why are you here? You were told that The Penny was off limits tonight."

"I know, but…well Sammy really missed McNally so…"

Sarah shook her head. "Well I'm sure Sammy here can suffer through one night on his own, right baby brother?"

"Absolutely!" Sam agreed. "We'll just be going now."

"No way!" Epstein argued. "I am not going all the way back over to Detective Barber's just to sit around and watch you guys play poker. Come on, ladies, please; we're already here." He practically begged.

"Sure, you can come in." Zoe agreed, which completely caught Noelle and Sarah off guard.

They looked at her in astonishment until she added the 'but'.

"BUT…" she paused. "If we agree to let you in, you have to agree to participate in all the planned activities."

"Done!" Dov agreed much to the chagrin of Sam and now Oliver who knew his wife had to be up to something. And judging by the size of the grins on both Noelle and Zoe's faces, it didn't bode well for him.

"I am not taking my clothes off." Oliver argued.

"Trust me, Oliver." Noelle agreed. "No one wants to see that."

Zoe just laughed. "So are you guys in or out?

"We're good." Sam answered. "Let's go boys."

"I'm with Sam!" Oliver and Frank both decided.

Unfortunately the rest of the guys were filled with a lot of liquid courage and as a result a slightly skewed judgment, and almost every other man said they were in.

"All or none, boys." Noelle challenged, which scared the veteran officers even more.

"Come on! We're already here."

The three holdouts exchanged a look before conceding with a nod; if push came to shove, they would find a way out of it.

"You walk through the door and you agree." They were reminded as Noelle ushered them all inside.

Almost everyone stopped short the minute they got in far enough to get a look at the so-called activities. Needless to say it was not what they were expecting.

Oliver's eyes widened. "Did you do that?" He asked the ladies with them.

"Of course." Zoe admitted proudly. "We were the first ones up there."

Both Oliver and Frank were speechless; they would have never guessed.

"You too?" Sam asked Sarah.

"I was first." Sarah confirmed, chuckling at her brother's astonishment.

"I've been to some of these before you know and it always helps if you have a plan." She explained. "I go up, just barely get started when Noelle comes up and tells me I'm doing it wrong."

"Then, when Noelle's been up there for just a minute," Zoe explained. "I go up there and tell her she's not doing it right."

"And as soon as Zoe gets up there," Noelle continued, "Sarah and I look around and find the girl who wants up there the most and encourage her to help 'that poor woman' out before she embarrasses herself."

"Works every time." Sarah bragged. "You've taken your turn and you don't have to worry about it for the rest of the night."

Frank and Oliver seemed to be mulling over their logic and trying to decide if they were going to have to employ it, when another group of ladies noticed them. "What are they doing here?" Someone yelled.

All the girls froze and looked up as someone killed the music.

"We told the boys they could stay." Noelle explained.

Her revelation was met with boos and disagreements until she held up her hand. "Let me finish. We told them they could stay…if…they agreed to participate."

Over the cheering, they heard Traci yell. "Who's up first?"

Andy though wasn't concerned with anyone else; her eyes were peeled on Sam as he made his way towards her. She started blabbering as soon as he got within earshot. "The girls made me do it…cuffed me to the pole 'til…"

Sam led Andy by the hand to the back hall. When he turned around, he had an unexpected grin on his face. "I'm not mad." Actually he was more than a little relieved.

"You're not?"

"No…but let's maybe lay off the pole for the rest of the night."

She caught something in his voice and figured out quickly that anger wasn't the emotion he was feeling. "You didn't like it." She purred, inching her body closer to him.

Sam chuckled uncomfortably. "Liking it was definitely not the problem. But how about you wait for a bit and show me those moves later at home."

Andy began to place kisses along Sam's jawline. "We can sneak out now if you like." She offered breathlessly.

Sam would have happily taken her up on her offer but…"I don't think Oliver and Jerry would ever let me live it down if I left my own bachelor party early."

"Even if I said I'd make it worth your while." She whispered into his ear.

Sam turned his head to give her a quick kiss before pulling back a little. "You can make it worth my while later."

Andy huffed, the chasteness of the kiss let her know that he wouldn't be changing his mind. "Fine." She acceded before furrowing her brow. "Why are you here anyway?

Sam looked away. "Um…uh…Epstein said you had strippers here."

"So?"

"Um…I…" Sam wasn't sure how to answer that without getting himself into trouble.

"What? You have a thing for male strippers?" She teased.

Sam turned back and looked at her through his lashes as if to say 'seriously?' but then he dropped his voice an octave and said, "You already know what I have a thing for."

Andy giggled, _oh yes she did_. "It was the first thing I told Traci."

"Wh…What?" Sam stuttered out. "You told Nash that…"

Andy laughed. "I told her that I didn't want strippers."

"Oh." Sam breathed out, completely relieved.

"Sure. I mean, why would I need them when I've got a guy who'll take it off for me whenever I want?" She replied cheekily.

"Whenever you want eh?" Sam challenged, dimples coming out in full force as he leaned in towards Andy.

"Well…if you don't count right now." She pouted in mock hurt.

Sam's grin widened; if she wasn't careful, he might just have to grant that wish.

He was just backing her up against the wall when Oliver came around the corner. "Okay Sammy you're up."

"Excuse me?"

"You're up…your turn on the pole."

Sam dropped his chin. _There's no way he's serious._

Apparently Oliver could read his friend quite well. "I'm serious; all the other guys have done it."

"Ha!" Sam blurted. "I find it hard to believe that Frank for one has already willingly gone up there." He winked at Andy. "Epstein, even Barber, sure…but Frank? No way."

Andy giggled at the thought of the Sarge up there.

"I'm serious." Oliver insisted. "Frank's a smart man; he lives with the woman for Pete's sake. He knows as well as I do, you don't make a deal with Noelle and back out. Even pregnant, she could kick all of our asses."

Sam didn't doubt that but he did doubt Oliver's sincerity so he simply waited him out…because there was no way in hell he was getting anywhere near a stripper pole, well at least not in front of half the station…_an audience of one…well..._

"Fine." Oliver cracked. "We made a deal with Noelle."

"What's the deal?" Sam demanded.

"All the guys are off the hook…" he stated, pausing for a second before blurting out the condition as quickly as he could, "ifwecangetyouonthepole".

"What?" Sam was sure he couldn't have heard what he thought he heard.

Oliver cleared his throat. "We're all off the hook if we can get YOU on the pole."

Andy lost it, completely doubling over in laughter.

Oliver glared at her; she wasn't helping his cause. "Come on Sammy you gotta help us out here. No one wants to see me on that pole, and Frank…come on he's going to lose it. He can't get up there, but he doesn't want to pull rank on a pregnant Noelle either."

He looked at Sam with his best puppy dog eyes. "You're our only hope."

Andy finally caught her breath and with it came an idea. "He'll be right out." Andy promised with a scheming twinkle in her eye.

Sam looked at Andy like she was crazy; she had to know that he would never do something like that…ever. Hell, if he wouldn't do karaoke where would she get the idea that he would even consider a stripper pole.

'Trust me' she mouthed as she directed Oliver back to the waiting crowd. "Tell them he'll be right out."

Oliver was grinning. Talk about a win-win. He wouldn't have to get up there and McNally was going to make sure that Sammy did. _Swarek on a stripper pole!_ _Good times!_

Oliver barely made the corner before inciting the waiting crowd. "Swarek's a go!"

Sam and Andy could hear all the guys cheering and the girls, especially Noelle, Sarah and Zoe could be heard yelling "No Way!" and "I'll believe it when I see it."

Sam on the other hand was still shaking his head as Andy moved to stand in front of him. She steadied his movements with her hands before looking into his eyes and softly pleading with him to do this one thing for her. She wanted him to stay and she knew that if he could pull this off, the girls would have to let him.

The natives were still restless, the ladies with skepticism and the men with anticipation, when Sam came around the corner with a smirk. He locked his gaze on Noelle as he moved forward and her eyebrows shot to the top of her head; never in a million years would she have believed that he would accept the challenge.

Sam put a loose, one hand grip on the pole and walked around it slowly, jiggling it every so often as if testing its integrity. Mouths were dropping in quick succession as he made a complete circle. And when he stopped cold, so did the crowd. Andy came around the corner at that exact moment, as if on cue. "We need music!"

The crowd cheered in response ready to be thoroughly entertained; this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

As the music started thumping, Sam backed up against the pole but instead of dancing he shot a full dimpled grin to Noelle and Andy sidled up and started moving against him. Sam didn't do a thing but smile and enjoy the view as Andy strutted around him trying to keep it as dance floor appropriate as possible.

The crowd lost it. The men laughed realizing that Swarek had done it again…worked his way around the rules. The women, well three in particular, were sorely disappointed and made their feelings known.

"No way!" Zoe yelled.

"No fair, Sammy!" Noelle argued. "That wasn't the deal."

Sam reluctantly turned his gaze from Andy. "Hey you didn't say I had to be the one doing the dancing. Oliver's exact words were that they had to 'get me on the pole'…well here I am. And thanks by the way." He added with a waggle of his brows and the dimples not far behind.

"Come on, McNally. Where's your loyalty?" Noelle accused.

"I think that's pretty obvious." Sam answered before Andy had a chance to.

"No, Sammy. What's obvious is how much you're enjoying yourself right now." Noelle disputed with a quick nod down.

"What?" Sam yelped out quickly glancing down. When he realized there was nothing to see, he knew he had been had.

"Low Blow."

Noelle just raised her eyebrows in challenge. "That's what you get for ruining all my fun."

"I'm sure if you sweet talk Frank he'll make sure the entire night isn't a bust."

"Watch it Swarek."

"Sorry, boss." Sam replied, but the grin on his face told a different story.

Now Andy was keeping it as PG as possible and it wasn't anything more than you would see at a club on Saturday night, but she was getting a little too close for someone's comfort.

"Alright! Alright! Show's over." Sarah insisted averting her eyes from the dance floor. "I'm not sure I'll ever recover from that."

"You won't." Oliver swore. "And I have enough trouble avoiding it at work; I don't need it here. I still have nightmares about interrogation one." He confessed.

"And the evidence locker." Chris added with a slow nod.

Dov and Traci looked at each other. "Locker room!" They both yelled at the same time.

Sarah shook her head at her brother. "Do I even want to know which one?"

"Who said I had to choose?" Sam wondered chuckling at his sister's apparent shock.

Andy didn't say a word; she just dropped her red face against Sam's chest. She got so caught up in Sam sometimes that she just didn't realize how often their friends had walked in on them. _At least it was only making out...okay, maybe Sam **was** rounding second a few times. They should probably work on that._

Andy felt a tap on her shoulder and was afraid to look up. She was sure it was Oliver with some smart remark about her seemingly renowned love life.

Thankfully it was Terri and Andy took the chance to officially introduce her to Sam. They chatted for a bit before Terri told her she had to get going.

"I'm so glad you could come." Andy affirmed with a hug before she pulled back and dropped her hand to Terri's stomach. "Just make sure and let us know when that baby comes."

"How did you…"

"Please I'm a cop. You think I didn't notice you passing your shots to Gail."

Terri laughed and reached out to shake Sam's hand. "Sam, it was nice to finally meet you. You make an interesting first impression."

Sam chuckled and looked cheekily at Andy. "So does she."

Terri furrowed her brow. "Now that sounds like a story for another time."

Andy grinned as she walked her friend to the door. "Sounds like a plan."

Andy had barely left Sam's side when she was replaced by Oliver. "Now someone get this man a drink." Oliver ordered, holding up his own glass in mock seriousness. "To our brother Sammy, for having our backs and taking one for the team. For manning the pole so that the rest of us may be spared from the wrath that is Noelle Williams and…" He paused for effect. "…and for always, always working for the greater good."

Frank stood to join him. "Serve, Protect, and thank God the image of Epstein on a stripper pole is not forever burned in our memories."

The crowd cheered. "To Sammy!"

* * *

><p>The rest of the night passed in a blur and everyone had a great time.<p>

In the end, even Noelle had to admit that while she didn't get the guys on the pole, she was glad they came. She was in such a good mood; she and Frank even offered to drive the Wonder Twins home.

So that left the Shaws, Jerry and Traci, Sam and Andy, and Sarah.

"Okay!" Traci cheered, trying to rouse the group with fake enthusiasm. "Who's going to help me take these poles down and get them in the car?"

Sam was more than ready to offer to take them home for her, hoping they didn't have to be back 'til Monday. But his sister quickly reminded him that not only could he not take them home in a cab, but that she was staying with them all week in preparation for the wedding.

Liam smiled at the exchange between the two siblings; he was getting used to seeing a more fun and relaxed Swarek.

"Just leave them there Traci; I'll take them down in the morning." He offered.

"Really?" Traci confirmed hopefully.

"Yes, Really."

"I think I love you."

Liam laughed at the declaration. "It's fine; you can come pick them up tomorrow. But if you really love me, you'll get Barber out of here. I think he's drooling on my bar."

Traci grinned. "Deal."

Outside Sam and Andy stood arm in arm beside Sarah, watching Traci and Zoe get their men into a shared cab. Just before the door shut, they could hear Oliver spouting off about how Zoe going on a stripper pole must somehow nullify his earlier transgression.

Sam grinned as he pulled Andy closer. "Did you have fun?"

"Of course."

"And you really didn't mind that we crashed your party?"

"Hey I thought you knew by now that I like having you around."

Sam gave her a quick wink. "That's not what you said at the last girls' night."

Andy blushed. "Okay, maybe not that ONE time, but if you ask me, most every night is better if you're there."

"Likewise, McNally."

"You know," she whispered against his chest. "We make a good team you and me."

Sam didn't care that his sister was right there already rolling her eyes at their sentiments or that she would probably tease him relentlessly for being such a sap, but he just couldn't help it.

He reached down with his hand and slowly tipped up Andy's chin so he could look her in the eye and then he offered her a glimpse of the promise he would make official in less than seven days.

"As long as we both shall live."

* * *

><p>Hope you liked it!<p> 


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